Secret of the Triforce: The Descendant
by KelseyRain
Summary: When Link meets a mysterious Amazonian girl who may be the descendant of Ganondorf, he will once again have to save Hyrule from a neighboring land, and perhaps even find out that he isn't so pure after all....READ FULL DETAILS IN PROFILE!
1. Prologue

**Prologue **

'_Link stared up at Midna, watching her go into the Realm of Twilight. His chest heaved, and his vision blurred, but he still stared up at her beautiful, yet demonic face, smiling as he did so. She turned back to him and Zelda, her face smiling too. Smiling always seemed to make good-byes a bit happier, although there was no truth to them. _

"_In another time." And with a lift of her arms, she dissolved into the World of Twili. _

_Link sighed. He knew that he and Midna would always be friends, and keep close. But then a pessimistic thought struck him in the back of his mind. _

"_What…what if-"_

_He was cut off by the sound of the Mirror cracking, and he realized what Midna was doing. The Mirror exploded, beautiful shards of dust and glass flying in all directions. Link and Zelda covered their faces, and both glanced at the Mirror. She had done it. Midna would never be seen again._

_Link felt angry, but struggled not to show it. He didn't want to burst with the Princess Zelda beside him. She placed a gentle hand on his shoulder and felt he was tense. "It's alright. Let it out."_

_Link growled, and with a burst of angry strength he pushed the Mirror of its stand, letting it fall onto the warm sand harmlessly. He stood there panting, then took a deep breath, and dropped to his knees. He didn't cry, nor did he scream. Instead, he pounded the rock with his fist once, and dropped his head. _

"_In another time" he whispered. "In another time." '_


	2. Chapter 1: The Tree House

**Author's Note - ****Please review! This is my first fanfiction EVER and I would really appreciate some feedback. I also need to know what you think of the dialogue, as I sometimes feel it's too staccato or rushed. No flaming please! Thanks (:**

**Chapter 1: The Tree House**

"Come on, Link! C'mon!" Talo shouted, tugging on Link's hand. "C'mon! You walk so slow!"

"What is it Talo?" Link asked. He was originally supposed to be at the Ordon Ranch, helping out Fado with bails of hay, but the children had 'kidnapped' him from his house, and they were off, walking in a group, towards the Ordon Spring. He was guessing the children wanted to show him what they had built in the forest. Colin had mentioned something about a tree house yesterday at the Annual First Day of Spring Ordon Barbeque. Link smiled. These children had so much spirit.

"You should see it Link! It's HUGE!" Beth exaggerated, as she usually did. "It has a little kitchen, and a couch, and a-"

"Oh shhh Beth! Let him find out when he gets there!"

"But-"

"No!"

"Fine" She grumpily folded her arms. "But I was just getting to the part where-"

Colin decided to join the conversation. "You know Beth, Talo is right. You should just let Link see it when he gets there."

Malo smirked. "Wow. Colin and Talo actually agreed."

Talo shot him a dirty look. "Shut up!"

Beth whined, then hugged onto Link's strong right arm. "But, he wants me to tell him!" She looked up at him, batting her eyes. "Right, Link?"

Link chuckled. "Let me just see it Beth" He leaned down and whispered in her ear. "You'll ruin the surprise, k?" Then he winked at her. Beth literally almost fainted.

"So, this tree house…it's a tree house right?"

The children all replied with "Yup! Sure! Of course!", and one "Duh" from Malo.

"Okay. So, you say this tree house has a kitchen and all inside, right? How did you all build that?"

Colin shook his head. "We didn't build it. We found it."

Link raised an eyebrow. "Where, exactly, did you find it?"

"Don't get mad, but in the Faron Woods! Near that really pretty forest!" Beth said. "Oh, it's sooooo pretty Link!"

Link halted, surprising some of the children holding on to him. "You mean the Sacred Grove?"

Talo stopped short. "The Sacred-what?"

Link scratched his head. "The Sacred Grove. Where Midna and I found the Skull Kid."

Colin cocked his head. "What're you talking about Link? Who's the Skull Kid?"

Beth stomped her foot. "Yeah, and who's Midna? Your girlfriend?"

Inside, Link felt hurt by that statement. It'd been a while since he got over Midna, but every so often, those damned feelings would show up again. But Beth was just a child, so he took it easy.

"No Beth. She is not my girlfriend. She's just a friend…was a friend."

Talo and Malo looked at each other and shrugged.

Talo gripped Link's left hand again, and tugged. "So, are we going or not?"

Link suddenly fell out of his daydream and back onto earth. "How did you guys find it? You know you're never supposed to go beyond-"

"The Ordon Bridge. Yeah yeah, we know. Chill. Illia was with us." Malo replied, walking ahead.

Link raised an eyebrow. "Illia was with you? Since when does she have an interest for going in the Faron Woods? And where was I in the midst of all of this?"

"It was only yesterday, during the barbeque. You were helping our parents get ready, and Illia took us out for a little fun."

Link cocked his head. "That doesn't sound like her at all."

Beth squeezed Link's arm harder. "I know! Maybe it's that boyfriend of hers…"

Link chuckled. "Maybe"

Illia had met a boy from Castle Town not too long ago, when Rusl had gone back to the town for a meeting, and took her and Link for a ride. Before she knew it, she and the boy, Adam, were dating. Apparently Bo wasn't very happy about the whole thing, and made Link swear that he would watch out for them. Which he didn't.

When they finally arrived at the Sacred Grove, Link couldn't help but feel he was being watched. Not by something evil, but he was definitely being watched by someone. He had brought along no weapons, but supposed his fists could be weapons on their own. After all, he DID wrestle the Gorons with his bare hands…and won. But figured he didn't need to use violence. It was probably just the Skull Kid looking over them anyway.

Beth shrieked. "There it is! There it is!" She let go of Link and ran toward it, along with all the other children, except for Colin, who stayed by Link's side.

"Isn't it cool?" Talo asked from atop a rope ladder. "And fun too!" He swung the rope ladder back and forth, almost knocking Beth off.

"Hey! Watch it, will ya?"

Link looked down at Colin, and put a hand on his shoulder. "Why don't you go ahead? I'm going to look around."

Colin nodded and ran off, then turned around. "Wait! You're not coming?"

Link nodded. "Yeah! I'll be there in a sec."

He walked off to his left, following the path of turquoise rock and grass. The Sacred Grove was beautiful, and somewhat chilling in a way. He walked by little ponds and ruins. He eventually found himself at the ancient Hyrule ruins. The door that led to the Temple of Time still remained standing, the Triforce symbol etched across the stone. Link wondered if he could still enter the door, but figured he couldn't without his Master Sword, which was left safely in his basement back in Ordon. He put his hand on the door and sighed. He was going to miss his adventures with Midna. She was so cocky, and he would miss those little unique things about her. He once again fell out of his daydream and heard the laughter of the children, and walked back to the tree house. He smiled when he saw the four kids running around the tree house, playing and pretending to be people they weren't.

Talo caught a glimpse of Link and waved to him. "C'mon Link! Come and see it!"

Even though Talo was 20 feet up in the air, he was still as loud as a cucco being attacked. Link climbed up the rope ladder in within five seconds, and entered the tree house. To his surprise, his head did not hit the ceiling, as the ceiling was high above. _That's strange_, he thought. Whoever built this tree house must be as tall as Link, who stood at six feet and two inches.

Link looked about the wooden house, and Beth was indeed correct. There was a small kitchen, with a small table as well. He also saw a "couch" made entirely of hay, grass, wood. The rest of the house was empty, but provided the children plenty of room to play in. Out of the corner of his eye, Link noticed a small necklace, sitting atop one of the shelves in the kitchen. He walked towards it, and picked it up gently. It was made of leather, with an ornate onyx symbol as the pendant. He'd never seen anything like it. _Someone has to live here. But, where could they be?_

He placed the necklace back down, and sat on the floor, facing the children. He watched them play for ten minutes before Malo said "Well don't just sit there. Do _something_".

Beth sat beside Link. "Hey! Why don't we all tell stories!"

Talo laughed. "That's dumb! Let's keep playing tag!"

But as he talked, Colin and Malo sat in a circle with Beth and Link. Talo sighed, and joined them.

Beth clapped her hands. "Okay! Who wants to tell a story first?"

Talo raised his hand. Beth nodded to him. "Yes Talo?"

Talo sat up proudly. "I volunteer that Link tell us a story!"

All the children replied with "yeah!"

Malo frowned. "But we've heard all his stories. We already know he defeated Ganon with Zelda's help. What else did he do?"

They all sat in silence, thinking. Then Beth broke the silence. "Oooo!!! Tell us who Merna is!"

Link grinned. "You mean Midna."

"Oops. Yeah…her." She blushed wildly.

Link sighed. "Well, you know how Twilight took over Hyrule, right?"

"Yeah"

"Well, Midna was the princess of the twilight. She was another race, known as the Twili. I met her in the dungeon when I was turned into a wolf. She helped me escape, and ever since then, helped me throughout my journey."

"What did she look like?" Colin asked.

Talo bounced up and down. "Did she look like a demon?"

Beth smirked. "Was she ugly?"

Link held up his hand. "Haha. Enough questions." He ran a hand through his dirty-blonde hair. "Well, she had two different looks. I met her when she was an imp. She, and I, we're cursed by Zant, who overtook her kingdom, and turned her into…well…this little demon looking thing you could say."

Beth's smirk grew larger. "So she was ugly!"

Link raised an eyebrow. "She wasn't…ugly. Just…different. She was a foot tall, with black and blue skin, and bright green tattoos all over her body. Her eyes were three colors. Red, orange, and yellow. Her hair was also bright orange, like her eyes."

Beth folded her arms. "Sounds ugly to me."

Link sighed. "If you say so. Well, when I defeated Ganon, the curse was lifted from her. Midna looked entirely different. Her skin was still pale blue and black, her hair was still orange, and her eyes were still tricolored. But, she looked like a princess. She was taller than me-"

"TALLER THAN YOU?!" Talo shouted. The children covered their ears and groaned. Typical Talo.

Link nodded. "Taller than me. She was very elegant. Very…beautiful."

Beth frowned. "Aww"

Link winked at her. "Don't worry. You'll always be my girl." Instead of almost fainting, she just tossed her hair and said "Duh!"

"So…that's my story, kiddies." He looked out the entrance of the tree house. "It's nearly sundown. We should be heading back."

The children awed, but Link knew he'd get lectured big time if he didn't play the responsible adult role. So, one by one, they got down the rope ladder, and headed off into the sunset, back to Ordon. But what Link didn't know was that Beth had taken the leather necklace from the tree house. That little act of thievery, would soon change Link's life forever.

**Like I said, review please? Haha…lemme know if it's worth carrying on (:**


	3. Chapter 2: The Letter

**Author's Note - ****Hey guys! So I already have the first three chapters written, I'm working on the fourth one now. (: Please please PLEASE review! I need to know if its likeable or not (: So, I have pink-eye, and I have this medication ointment for my eyes and I went blind. SERIOUSLY, BLIND. Haha! My vision was completely blurred, so, excuse me for any mistakes or anything. Thanks (:**

**Chapter 2: The letter**

When they arrived back to Ordon, the sun had already set. Link figured the parents knew about their children heading off with Link, but when he arrived, 7 pairs of Hylians marched up to Link and snatched their children, all yelling angrily at Link. He just stood there, looking dazed. When Bo arrived, he addressed the issue. "What seems to be the problem?"

Pergie, Talo and Malo's mother, stepped forward. "Our children have been gone for almost the whole day, and just returned now, with Link!" She stabbed a finger in the air at him. "He_ is_ the oldest child in the village, and should've been responsible enough to tell us he had our children!"

Link winced and rubbed the back of his neck. "I figured they told you."

Pergie narrowed her eyes. "But they didn't, and neither did you."

Link threw his hands up in the air. "I don't know what the big deal is! They WERE with me! They were perfectly safe!"

Bo sighed. "Yes, but Link, the last time they were with you, they got kidnapped while you got knocked out, remember?"

Link lowered his eyes. "Yes…of course I remember. But I was just a farm boy then. And you Bo, of all people, know what I'm capable with with my bare hands, hm?"

Bo sighed again. "Oh yes. I taught you to wrestle myself" he muttered so only Link could hear. "But that's besides the point Link! The children's parents had no idea where they had disappeared to, and for all we could've known, they could've been taken again."

Link put his hands on his hips. "Who would steal them? Ganon is gone, remember?"

"There are still gangs out there."

Link looked to the ground. He knew he had lost this argument, as social fights were not his thing and he usually lost. He looked back up to the adults. "I'm truly sorry for making you worry. But you needn't worry so much. They're not babies anymore. They won't know anything about the world if they're cramped up in a tiny village all day."

Sera stepped forward and spoke now. "Link, Talo and Beth and Colin are nearly 7 years old! And little Malo! Only 5! They're so young! They need to be back home by sunset, with US knowing where they have gone. Do you understand?" She gave him a stern look.

Link bit his lip. "I understand."

The adults walked off, grumbling and grasping their children tight. Little Colin turned around for a moment, and waved to Link. Link gave a small smile and waved back.

Link just stood there, feeling disappointed. He felt the adults didn't trust him anymore, and ever since his journey to defeat Ganon had happened, they had been as stern as ever. He kicked a rock, then turned around back to his house. As he shut the entrance and walked briskly into his home, he heard a knock on the door. Four knocks. It was Illia. When they were small children, they would talk for hours after midnight. They had a secret code that was four knocks in a row. He could always tell it was her. Unfortunately, he was not in the best of moods at the moment, so he walked over lazily, and opened the door violently. "What?"

Illia raised an eyebrow. "Someone got pecked in the head by a cucco." She smiled. "I wanna talk to you about something." She made her way into his house, as she always did when she wanted a point to get across. She sat comfortably on his sofa and crossed her legs.

"Oh yes. Just march into my house like it's all good." Link sat on the coffee table in front of her. "What do you need to talk about?"

Illia blushed a bit and scratched her arm, which was a nervous habit of hers. "Well, I think I want to break up with Adam, I just don't know how to do it without hurting him."

"Well, there's no way it won't hurt him, but you can do it in the nicest way possible."

"Yes, but Link, I'm not very good…well…"

"Getting the point across nicely?"

Illia narrowed her eyes. "Exactly"

Link laughed. "Well, why are you breaking up with him in the first place?"

Illia groaned and rolled her eyes. "Oh my gods, Link! He is sooo clingy! It's ridiculous! He writes to me everyday, saying the same thing: I love you." She rubbed her temples. "I just don't feel the same way."

"Hm. That's sounds like you! Super clingy!"

"Shut up. And whenever we meet eachother, all he does is stare at me like I'm an orange rupee or something. Its like 'Hello?! What do you want?'" She sighed. "Any tips?"

Link shrugged. "Honestly, I'm no good at the whole romantic-i-love-you-but-i-hate-you sort of thing. Sorry."

"What're you talking about? Of course you've been in relationships before!"

"Illia…I was six. You were four. That doesn't count."

"But we were each other's first kiss! So, you must have some knowledge in that area. Besides, you're a guy. All guys are the same in that area."

"In what area?"

"The romantic-i-love-you-but-i-hate-you-thing." She smiled. "Oh, you're no help at all." She stood up to leave and walked slowly to the door.

"Illia, you just came here to talk to me didn't you?"

She turned around quickly. "What? N-no I didn't! That's horse manure!"

"Then why are you blushing?"

"I-I'm not b-blushing!"

"And you're stuttering. Are you breaking up with Adam because you like me? Oh yeah, that's definitely it." He teased.

Illia rolled her eyes. "You're such a jerk, Link. If only the adults saw this side of you."

Link smirked. "I'm just messing with you. Don't take it personally."

Illia relaxed herself back onto the couch. "Yeah, well I do take things personally." She looked away momentarily. "But, yes, that's part of the reason I'm breaking up with Adam." She looked at his big, ocean blue eyes. "I really admire you Link."

Link laughed. "Jeez! You're a good actress Illia!"

"No, I'm serious Link."

He stopped laughing and looked in her eyes. She was serious. "You…have a crush on me?"

Illia giggled. "I think every girl that's ever encountered you has had a crush on you."

Link shook his head. "I seriously doubt that."

"No it's true! All my girlfriends' told me they've had a crush on you at least once in their life" She smiled. "Pinky promise"

Link smiled. "So, I'm like a womanizer huh?"

"Pretty much."

"What is it? My handsome looks? My sexy sword? My strong body?" He tapped his chin for a moment. "Wait, it's definitely the hat." He joked.

Illia laughed. "Oh yeah, definitely the hat." She looked at him sincerely. "No, I think its pretty all those things. Your…kinda perfect."

Link blinked twice, then burst out in laughter. "Me? Perfect! That's a joke." He looked at her face, expecting her to be laughing with him, but she looked serious. And the way she looked at him. He felt awkward. "I hope you weren't serious."

She looked a bit hurt. "I was."

Link's smiled died. He rubbed the back of his neck. "Oh. Um, I'm sorry for laughing at you. I didn't mean it…I was only-"

What happened next was what Link had not expected at all. She cut him off with her lips pressed to his. He still had his eyes open, and winced. He loved Illia, but like a sister. She tried to engage the kiss, but he pushed her away softly. She looked up at him worriedly. "Oh! I'm…sorry."

Link bit his lip. "Illia…it won't work."

"What won't?" She asked, afraid of the answer.

"Us."

She stared at him for a moment, then stood up, and made her way to the door. Before she left, she said "Thanks for the advice", slamming the door shut.

Link just sat there in disbelief. _Illia…kissed me? That was…weird. Does she really think I'm perfect? _Then he realized what he just did. _I really hurt her. But she knows I'm not into her like that! Gods, she is so manipulative!_ He got up, got out of his clothes, changed into his sleeping pants, and slept a nice, long sleep, trying to forget the day's events.

The next morning was rough. The whole village was pretty upset with him, especially Illia. He walked into town awkwardly, and collected Epona from the ranch. He decided to keep her there at night so she would be more comfortable in a stall then tied up to a tree. He began to help Fado with the rams, letting them out into the field. As he made his way back into town, Talo, waving something in his hand, and Colin ran up to Link, screaming their heads off. "Link! Link! You have a message!"

Link smiled when they reached him. "A message eh? From where?"

Talo looked at the message in his hand. "Um..Zor-Zorie? Zzzzzz…Zora!"

Link took the message from his hands. "Zora's Domain." He unfolded the message, reading the neat handwriting.

'Hello Master Link. We are sorry to disrupt you, but

our prince, Prince Ralis, has been taken from our kingdom.

We call upon you to help us look for him, as this is the second time

he has disappeared. Once again, we are sorry to bother you, but we would

greatly appreciate the help.

Sincerely, Head Guard of the Zoran Watch, Rupa Hutiyle Zora.

Link folded the letter back up and stuffed it in his shirt pocket.

"What did it say Link?" Colin asked politely.

Link scratched his head. "Apparently, Prince Ralis has disappeared from Zora's Domain, again. They've asked me to search for him." Link tapped his chin. "But why would they need me to help?"

Talo gasped. "Because you're a hero, Link! The greatest hero in all of Hyrule!" Talo puffed out his chest. "I'll be just like you one day!" He elbowed Colin. "Right?"

Colin shrugged. "Sure. Why not?"

Talo put on a big grin. "See? Hey! Can we come with you?"

Link shook his head. "Unless you want to sleep on the ground, walk until your feet are sore, and eat two slices of bread a day." He winked at them. "One day though."

Talo punched the air. "Really? Cool!"

Colin smiled. "That would be cool."

Link put his hand on Colin's shoulder. "Listen you two, I've got to go get ready. Do you think you could tack Epona for me?"

Talo groaned. "Ughh…I hate that stuff"

Colin smiled. "I would love too! Maybe Illia would like to help too?"

Link's smile died a bit. "Um…I don't know if she's exactly in the mood today. But, you can ask if you want."

"Sure!"

"Thanks guys." Link headed off to Uli and Rusl's house, and told them he would be gone for a week or so. He did the same with Mayor Bo, who he luckily found talking to Pergie outside her home. With approval of departure, Link turned back to his house, and readied for his next adventure, which he had no idea of how unique it would get.


	4. Chapter 3: The girl in the Grove

**Author's Note – ****Thank you so much Shimmering Starlight for the review! As you have probably noticed, whenever I write dialogue, "its like this" without the period. I'm using Microsoft Word to write this, and for some reason, when I put the period, it shows up as a grammar mistake and erases it…so I unfortunately have no control over that. :/ I know the beginning isn't too great, but trust me! It's gonna get good…..soon (:**

**Chapter 3: The girl in the Grove**

When the sun had barely risen, Link was packed and ready to go. He had on his Hero's outfit: white collared shirt, gold chainmail, green tunic, beige pants, brown leather boots, leather gloves, green hat, Master Sword and Shield, and his pouch. Link had forgotten too quickly of what it was like to be dressed this way. He loved the feeling of an adventure, although the stress of it might not always be favored.

Link climbed down the ladder to his house to find Beth, Colin, Talo, Malo, and Illia waiting for him. In Illia's hand was the rein to Epona's bridle. She handed it to him. "You look like a hero."

Link bit his lip, which was becoming quite a habit of his. He took the reins gently. "Thank you."

"When will you be back Link? Soon?" Beth asked.

Link looked down at her. "Soon. About a week or so. If I'm not back by then, don't worry." He winked and she grabbed her heart. This caught Link's attention. Not the gesture, but her neck…or necklace to be exact. It was the same one from yesterday. "Beth, where did you find that necklace?"

Beth blinked, then put her feet together and gazed away. "From the tree house."

Link sighed. "Beth, you can't just take things from people's houses!"

Beth opened her eyes wide like saucers. "But no one lives there!"

"But you don't know that. I'm sorry Beth, but that doesn't belong to you. You're going to have to return it."

"How? We're not allowed at the Grove anymore, remember?"

Link thought for a moment. "Fine. I can return it myself on the way. Is that okay?"

Beth stared at him hard, then sighed. "Fine." She took it off angrily and threw it on the ground. "There."

Link folded his arms. "Pick it up."

"No."

"Beth…"

"No!"

Link kneeled down and put a hand on her shoulder. "How about this; I'll get you a necklace from Castle Town on the way back. Heck, I'll just get you all souvenirs. Is that okay?"

The children jumped up and down screaming yes. Beth even bent down and handed the necklace to Link.

"Thank you." He stuffed it in his shirt collar and glanced at Illia. She looked away shyly. Link lifted her chin. "Don't get cranky with all these kids."

She gasped and slapped his hand away, then pulled him into a bear hug. He knew she was probably dying inside right now, from joy, but Link kept that to himself.

Illia pulled away sooner than he thought. "Be safe."

Link smiled. "You know I never am." And with that, he lifted himself unto Epona's back, and rode off into the forest.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

When Link entered the Sacred Grove, leaving Epona back in the Faron Woods, the sun had just entered the sky, placing a beautiful and eerie shadow across the grove. It was pink and orange, and contrasted with the turquoise colors. It was absolutely silent, except for a breeze that would every so often rustle the trees. There was only one word that could describe it: Peaceful.

As he arrived at the tree house, and made his was slowly up to it. As he was about to grab the rope ladder, he heard voices. He stopped and listened, his Hylian ears doing their work. He raced up to the tree house, but no one was there. He looked around. It looked the same as yesterday, hadn't changed. Link sighed, then took the necklace out of his shirt pocket. As he did so, however, a ring of laughter came from the woods. Link stopped, and listened. It was either a female, or a young boy's voice. It was faded, slightly angelic. Link put the necklace in his pocket, and climbed back down the ladder. He followed the voice, and it soon switched from laughter to singing…or humming. He couldn't tell. He strolled along slowly, trying to be as silent as possible.

One of the trees to his left stirred, and Link's head shot to it. Still, nothing there. The voice stopped singing, and the grove was once again silent. Link did not like being tampered with, and he had a rather important task to return to. "Skull Kid, if that's you…show yourself."

Still, silence.

Link was becoming agitated, as he suffered from short-temperedness. "I have something of yours I think you would like back. I was nice enough to come back and return it…so please. Just retrieve it."

An alluring voice laughed in a tree in front of him. "Really? What is it?"

Link gulped and closed his eyes. It was definitely female voice. "A necklace" He took it out of his pocket, and held it in his left hand. "See?"

The voice hummed for a bit, then said "Yes, I see" A laugh. "But why do you have it?"

"One of the children took it from a tree house yesterday, presumably yours"

"My tree house? Oh yes. With all the children"

"You were there?"

"Hiding…like now"

"Why are you hiding? Just…show yourself"

"If you say so. Look behind you."

Link turned quickly, but the voice was playing with him. There was still no one there.

As he turned back around, he said "Really? C'm-"

He stopped abruptly. The voice's owner was standing before him, smiling. Link blinked twice, then gulped. He was not expecting this. The woman was about his age, seventeen, eighteen. She had the most luxurious skin he'd ever seen. Everyone who was Hylian or Elfish in Hyrule had cream-colored skin, or light tanned skin like his own. But hers…no. Hers was different. Her skin glowed a dark bronze, seeming to sparkle. It had a tint of gold in it, and made her seem like she was radiating. Her eyes were bright hazel, and her lips were plump and cherubic. Her hair was long, over her breasts, and was a hazelnut brown color. He also made note of her curves, very similar to Midna's. What accentuated them was what she was wearing. Her slim figure was wrapped around in a goddess-like dress, white like snow. It wrapped around her chest, exposing her left hip and stomach, and covered her bottom to the knee. What he noticed lastly, was how tall she was…for a female anyway. She had to be at least six feet tall, his length. Her beauty was striking, and Link stared. "Hello"

The young woman smiled innocently. "Hello!"

"I…um…believe this is yours." He handed her the necklace quickly, blushing.

She glanced at the necklace, then smiled at him sweetly. "Thank you"

"Your…welcome" He rubbed the back of his neck, then handed out his hand. "I'm Link"

She cocked her head to one side. "Link?"

"Yes…that's my name"

She looked at his hand, and instead of shaking it, she stuck it out like his. "I'm Link"

Link raised an eyebrow. "No…what's your name?"

"Name?"

Link just stared. _She doesn't know what a name is? Who is she? _"Yes. My name is Link. It's what I call myself, so other people know who I am. Understand?"

She just nodded and took the necklace from his hand. "Thank you, Link"

Link sighed with relief. _Thank gods she catches on quickly. _"So, what is your name?"

She looked down, embarrassed. "I…don't know"

"Hey, it's okay. I don't know my last name, so don't be embarrassed. Um…so have you always lived here?"

"I don't know. I know I was very young when I was brought here"

"By who?"

"By these men. They come once a month to take something from me"

Link bit his lip. "Take…something from you?"

"Yes"

"Like what?"

She put a slender finger on her chin, thinking. "Well, usually a piece of jewelry, but sometimes they ask for rock. Like, that one." She smiled and pointed to a ruby on the ground. "They say they take it to their master."

Link felt this was going somewhere bad. "What happens if you don't have what they want?"

Her smile faded, and a looked of fear swept across her face. "They hurt me."

"How?"

She gripped her hands together. "They hit me quite hard, or they take one of those" she pointed at Link's sword, "and say if I don't have the next item they will use that on me."

Link stood there horrified. This girl was slave…a slave to men. He couldn't let her stay here. "What do you eat?"

"Eat?"

Link gasped and took her hand. "That's it, your coming with me."

She gasped as well and smacked his hand. "No! Where am I going?"

"To safety. If those men threaten to kill you, it's not safe to leave you here. You don't even know what food is!"

She narrowed her eyes. "Well, I am sorry."

"Don't be, your coming with me"

"No"

Link turned around, angry. "Why would you want to stay here?!"

"This is my home!"

His face softened, and he relaxed his grip on her hand. "Your home?"

"It is the only place I ever remember staying at. I'm…I'm afraid of what's out there."

Link took both her hands in his. "Listen to me. You can trust me, okay? I'll keep you safe."

She looked in his eyes, and the look of fear swept away. She smiled again. "Okay"

Link nodded, and began to lead her out of the grove. Then she stopped walking. He looked back at her and tugged. "C'mon"

She stood there, listening. He stopped and listened too. After a couple of seconds, he heard voices. Rough, male voices.

Her face tensed and Link felt her shiver. "Those guards! They're here!"

Link turned to her. "You're sure?"

"Of course!"

He clenched his jaw, and gripped her hand tightly. "C'mon…um…hide in there" He pointed to a large cave-like opening underneath an oak tree. "I'll take care of them."

She tugged on his arm again. "No! They'll take you! I don't want them to take you too! I found you!"

Link grinned and led her over to the cave, and once inside, he said to her in a cocky voice, "There is no way in hell those guys can take me down." And with that, he ran out of the cave, leaving her in the darkness.


	5. Chapter 4: Clothes stay on your body

**Author's Note –** **Okay, so I know that the Sacred Grove is a secret place and you can't get there by foot, yaatah yaatah yataah. Well, let's just **_**pretend**_** there is a walking path to it, okay? That way it'll be less confusing. And I apologize as for the children and Ilia not knowing where it would've been…I should've explained that Link has showed it to them before. And I'm also sorry for spelling Ilia's name incorrectly in the earlier chapters. The game makes it so confusing!**

**I also make a reference to "Lothlorien" from LOTR. I do not own LOTR or Zelda. Thank you, AND PLEASE REVIEW!! **

**PS: Thank you Victoria-Blackheart for reviewing! I PROMISE it will get interesting…as this chapter is already interesting enough (:**

**Chapter 4: Clothes stay on your body**

Link exited the cave with a smirk. _This is going to be fun._ He pulled his sword out of its sheath, and stayed close to the walls and trees.

He followed the male voices, until he finally arrived at their presence. Five males, all of them tall like the girl, each one wearing a different colored fringe on their helmets. _Where are these people from? _He noticed they spoke in a different language, rough and very precise. The five men had to be at least six foot nine, and all had huge body-builder bodies. They weren't wearing much, only dark pants with a golden design threaded into them. It was the same symbol as the pendant the girl had. Link waited until they noticed the girl wasn't around.

"CHICKA! HYU ISTA REIULA GIGIORA!"

Link had no idea what the red fringed one said, and frankly he didn't care. He assumed they were calling her.

"SUREA DIU REIULA ERIU PALOPOEN!" The blue fringed man screamed, and all five of them unsheathed their swords. Link's jaw dropped when he saw their swords. The hilts were covered in bright rubies, and glittered in the newly-found sunlight. The sword itself was made out of gold, and in the center of each one was a rather large opal. _That's one hell of a sword._

"CHICKA CHOOCO RSIALGAR AHAH MIA MIU!" and they all hit their chests with their left hands and "oohed." Link decided this would be the best time to attack.

He sheathed his sword, and climbed up the tree he was hiding under. He shook the tree with all his might and the men below were yelling. _They think I'm her. _Link grinned evilly. _I'm having too much fun with this. _When he caught their attention, he unsheathed his sword for a second time, unleashed his war-cry, and jumped out of the tree, sword in his left hand, and shield on his right. The men looked puzzled at first, and screamed,

"JABA JO JABA NO CHICKA!"

Link rolled onto the hard ground, and hit the flat of his sword against the man with a gold fringe's head, knocking him unconscious. "That's right. I'm no chica."

The four other men stormed onto him. The red fringe one sliced his sword at Link, but Link easily dodged it and they connected blades. Link furrowed his brow. _Damn! Those swords are amazing! They're so strong! _Link blocked the man's blade, and then quickly did a spinning slice. Link's sword cut the man's hip, through the chainmail and armor, and he fell to his knees, injured. A third man came at Link, a blue fringe, and threw a kick at his chest. Unfortunately for him, Link rummaged his sword through the man's sole, boot, foot, and into the leg. As Link pulled out, the man screamed in pain, fresh blood sparkling on Link's sword and onto ground. _Three down, two to go._ A green fringed man came at Link, not only with one sword, but two. He sliced and diced and wheeled, but missed Link every time. Link simply thrust his shield to the left sword, knocking it down. He then swung his own sword with all his might at his opponent's other sword, sending it twirling out of the man's grip. Link grinned evilly at the man and swung his sword and shield on either side of the man's head. He fainted in an instance.

Link glared at the last man left, the purple fringed one. "I hope you're not as easy as them."

Purple Fringe replied, "I'm their leader."

Link froze. "You speak Hylian?"

Purple Fringe put his shield on the ground and his sword in its scabbard, throwing it beside his shield. "As head guard, I must know all main languages of the world." The man smirked. "You are Link?"

Link grit his teeth. "How do you know my name?"

The man laughed. "No reason…that you should know anyway."

"Are you gonna stand there and laugh or fight like a man?"

The man stopped laughing, and raised an eyebrow. "Fight like a man? You want to fight like a man?" He rolled up his sleeves, exposing his unreal, muscular arms. "Fine, we fight like men. No weapons."

Link smirked. "You sure that's wise?"

"Not for you."

Link tossed his belongings on the floor. "I wouldn't be too sure about that." _Time to do this Link style._

Purple Fringe raised his arms into fists, and came running at Link. Link easily side-stepped him, then knelt down, and did a spinning kick, causing the man to lose his balance and fall onto his back. Link then straddled the man down, and forcefully held the man's throat. "Convinced yet?"

Purple fringe choked and gripped Link's hand, trying to remove it. Link placed both hands on the man's throat now, waiting for him to turn purple like his fringe.

"Link?"

Link didn't lose concentration, but glanced at the voice. It was the girl. "Hey! I told you to hide!"

"Link, your killing him!"

Link realized his grip had been too strong, and relaxed it a little. The man took in a gasp of air, and lay there, panting. Link turned his head to her. "Get out of here!"

"No! I don't want them to take you!"

"As you can tell, I have it under-"

"LINK!"

But it was too late. The man cheated. Instead of lying there, praying for air, he had sneaked his sword into his left hand, and gave Link a deep gash on his left waist. Link gasped and instinctively held his waist with his left hand, his right hand now tightening on the man's throat, harder than before. The man once again struggled, and Link, in pain and bleeding, sat one knee on the man's chest, and shoved the other into the man's jaw, causing it to snap. He suddenly stopped fidgeting, and lay still.

Link rolled off the man, and lay on the ground, gasping in shock. He knew he was okay, even though the wound was serious. But he knew he'd make it.

"Link! The men are waking up!"

He turned his head to the pile of groaning men beside them, and got up on his right knee and arm. In one swift movement, he gathered his floored belongings, set them away, and grabbed the girl's hand, sprinting off. She struggled to catch up to with him, but eventually got the pace. Although every movement caused a jolt of pain eating at his side, Link did not die down…not yet anyway. He led her out of the grove, to the charming horse standing before it, enjoying her free time and endless helping of grass. Her head shot up as her master came running from the woods. Epona sensed something was wrong. Link moved quickly, trying not to spare time. "Up! On the saddle!"

She climbed her way up, and Link followed up behind her. "Hold on tight."

With a kick and a whoop, Epona sped off. The girl clung to the horn for dear life, afraid to fall off at such a great speed. Link managed the reins in his right hand, which was difficult being that he was left-handed.

He ran them out the Faron Woods, into Hyrule Field, heading for Kakariko Village. He needed this injury mended now, and more importantly he needed this girl to stay somewhere place. That was the thing about Link; he always put others before himself, even in the direst of circumstances.

Link glanced up at the sky, half-closing his eyes to look at the sun. It was approximately 110 degrees into the sky, meaning it was late morning. Link all of a sudden yelped and immediately stopped Epona with a lift of the reins. He grabbed his left side with both hands now, wincing as he did so. The girl looked over her shoulder and inhaled a squeal. He looked at her, his face saying "I'm in pain, but it's alright! Just think positive" with a weak smile to add to it. She smiled as well, and he winced again.

"How bad did that mean man hurt you?"

Link looked at his hand, his gauntlets covered in blood. Link's eyes widened. He was losing a lot of blood, and quickly. "It's…..fine. Don't worry. You're safe."

"You promise?"

"I promise." He took in a deep breath, and took hold of the reins again. He led them up a hill, a little shortcut he always took on the way to Kakariko. It was covered with cute trees, and a small puddle of water beside it. He loved nature. Growing up in Ordon, you had too.

"We're almost ther-"

He yelped again, but this time very loudly. The girl turned back startled. He was moaning and groaning, almost like a dramatic death sequence. Then, his eyes rolled to the back of his head, and fainted, falling off Epona onto the grassy earth.

"Oh my! Link!" The girl clumsily got off the saddle, and ran to him. "Oh…I don't know what to do!" She bit a nail nervously. She then eyed him and tapped his face lightly. "Stop sleeping Link! Stop-"She then halted, and froze completely. She stared ahead, completely lost in thought.

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"_Mother! I don't want to read this book! I want to read that one!" A little girl demanded, pointing to a fairytale book. _

_The little girl and her mother were inside a glamorous library, made entirely of mahogany wood. It wasn't a traditional look, but followed the look of their tribe, The Cirineu. It had big, carved windows that streamed in light and humidity from the forest around them. The chirps of birds, monkeys, and insects could be heard, along with the usual rustling of the huge palm trees. The library had its own natural ambience. _

_The library had books from all over the world, from Mistruyar, Hiroshymika, Hyrule, Lothlorien, and many other famous countries. The little girl pointed to the fairytale book again. "I want to read the story of the hero who saved his land and defeated Gan...Gan…"_

_The mother sighed. "Ganondorf. Corazon, I read you that tale every night. We need to move on to something more educational." The mother lifted up a dusty "Princess Etiquette" manual and smirked. "I know that it's not your most favorite book, but it is very important. And I hope one day you will realize that."_

_She handed her daughter the heavy book, and she took it sorrowfully. As she turned the pages, she pointed to a picture in the book. "Mother! I want a shawlness like that one!" She was referring to a long, white gown the princess in the picture was wearing._

_The mother chuckled. "That will be you one day, mi corazon. Now, flip to Chapter 27: The walk and gait of a princess's entrance."_

_The little girl rushed through the pages, looking for the chapter. "Chapter 27, chapter 27, chapter 2-OW!"_

_The little girl withdrew her hand and held out her right index finger. "My finger hurts!" As if on cue, blood slowly appeared at the cut. The little girl panicked. "MOMMY I'M BLEEDING! I'M BLEEDING!"_

_The mother took her finger gently and examined it. "Oh sweetie, your fine. It's just a paper cut."_

"_IT'S BLEEDING!"_

"_Well, do you know how to stop the bleeding?"_

_The little girl shook her head._

_The mother took a handkerchief out of her dress pocket, and ripped a section off of it. "You tie it to the wound, and tie it tightly, but gently. The pressure stops the blood from leaking out." The mother tied the girl's tiny finger. "See? All better!"_

_The girl frowned. "It's not better until you kiss it."_

_The mother smiled and took her finger again, kissing it. "Is it fine now?"_

_The little girl smiled. "Yes! All better!"_

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The girl broke out her dream, and shook her head. Who was that child? And the mother? Where were they? So many questions, and no answers.

The girl realized she was gripping onto Link's unconscious form, and inhaled calmly. She lifted herself off the ground, and strolled over to Epona's back. She took off the blankets and bag, and ripped a piece of cloth from the blanket rather easily. She went over to Link and removed his belts, sword and shield, green tunic and gold chainmail, and wrapped the cloth around his waist like in the dream. She tied it firmly, but gently. She then leaned down and kissed his waist. _All better._ She took the rest of the tack from Epona, eventually figuring it out. She tried her best to place a blanket beneath Link, but he was much too heavy to actually lift, so she inched his body, part by part, onto the soft cloth. She then got the cumbersome saddle, and put Link's head to it, using the saddle as a pillow. She stood up and looked at her success. She smiled widely and clapped her hands once.

She went to Epona and rubbed her nose. "So, now we wait, hm?" And with that, she plopped on the ground, and stared at the clouds.

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Link's blue eyes shifted in their sockets. Twice. He groaned and put a gauntlet hand to his forehead. He felt as though he'd been in a stampede full of Gorons. He rubbed his face a little, not even noticing the smell of blood on his stained hand. He opened his eyes to discover the sky was no longer blue, but black, with pretty diamonds in the sky. It was nightfall. Had he been knocked out for so long? And, why did he faint? He didn't remember much of what happened, but didn't think it was all that important. He was alive…and…where was the girl?

Link tried to get up on his elbows, but a jerk from his side made him cry out in pain and fall back on the ground. But, it wasn't the ground. Link made notice of a blanket over him, and his head resting on a saddle. He felt lighter than usual, and noticed the only shirt he was wearing was a blood-stained collared shirt, his others beside him. He felt a tightening around his waist, and removed the blanket halfway to see his waist was bandaged firmly. _Who did this? Did she do all this? _Apparently his cry had woken her from her slumber, as she was sitting Indian-style next to him, Link barely noticing.

"Are you okay?"

He turned to her surprised, and nodded. "Yes. Uh…did you do all of this? For me?"

She nodded, obviously very proud of herself.

Link smiled weakly. "Thank you. It's actually very comfortable." He rubbed his face, and glanced at the dark sky. "I've been asleep the whole day. Sorry."

"It's fine. Waiting wasn't so bad. I watched the clouds make funny faces."

Link cocked an eyebrow. "You waited all day? Morning 'till now?" Link propped himself on his right elbow. "You must get easily excited."

"Well, I fell asleep too."

Link looked around. "Are we on Hyrule Field?" He looked at her face, her expression clearly confused. "Yes, I think we are. I don't really remember what happened."

Her eyes lit up right away. "Oh! Oh! I do! I do! You see, we were riding on your horse, and you started screaming and then…you just fell asleep. And you fell of your horse too!" She smiled. "Mhm! That's what happened."

Link looked at Epona. "That's why my head hurts." He noticed some oak trees nearby and thought it was a good time to start a fire. "Hey, can you do me a favor?" She nodded. "Go to those trees over there," he pointed, "and take about five armfuls of branches, and bring them back here. Is that okay?"

"Yes Link! I'm excited to do so!" And with that, she took off and skipped off to the trees.

"Well that's good to hear" He said to himself. He plopped his head back unto the saddle, resting.

About five minutes passed, and he heard her footsteps getting closer. He propped himself up on his elbow again, and waved to her. As she got closer, Link's mouth gaped open.

"I got you the branches!"

Link blinked. "Yeah, you brought back the whole forest. Damn, how did you carry all of those?"

She shrugged and placed the wood to his right, between him and her blanket. "Are these all you need?"

He nodded and smiled. "That's perfect." He then reached for his bag, but couldn't reach it. "Could you get that for me?"

"Oh! Of course!" She said, handing it to him.

He pulled out a bottle of lamp oil and his lamp, refilling it. He placed the bottle back in the bag, and set it beside him. He ignited the lamp, feeling its' comforting heat rush to his skin. He swiped it over the branches, making a fire. He then put out the lamp and set it beside his bag. "We should be fine sleeping here tonight. You don't mind sleeping on the floor do you?"

The girl sat in front of the fire, deeply engrossed in its' beauty. "No. I always sleep on the floor."

Link cocked his head. "But you have a couch. Don't you sleep on there?"

She widened her eyes. "You sleep on couches?! I thought you just sat on them!"

Link just looked at her in disbelief. She had a LOT to learn. He ruffled his hair, rubbed his eyes, yawning as he did so. He looked at the fire for comfort, but instead saw the girl's finger outstretched to it.

"So…pretty."

"DON'T TOUCH IT!"

But, she did anyway. She retreated her finger, screaming. "OW! That hurt!"

Link groaned. "Of course it hurt! It's fire. Don't you know what fire is?"

She shook her head. "No…but it hurt my finger." She crawled over to his side and showed him her hand. "See?"

Link nodded. "It hurt because it's fire. It burns skin, wood, leaves, hair. Just about anything."

"How can something so beautiful be so evil?"

Link shook his head. "It's one of the world's greatest mysteries."

"Can you kiss it?"

This caught Link off guard. "Huh?"

"Can you kiss it? In my dream, I saw little girl get a cut on her finger. As her mother, yes…her mother, wrapped it in cloth, she kissed and said its all better. And the little girl said it didn't hurt anymore!"

Link just sat there, staring at her. _Should I kiss it? I mean if it makes her happy. It's not like I'm kissing her. _He took her finger, and kissed it softly. "There. All better?"

The girl stared in amazement at her index finger. "It really does work!"

Link smiled. _Not that I wouldn't mind kissing her. _He watched her retreat to her blanket, sitting on it, staring at her finger.

Link decided it was time to look at the wound. _It should've stopped bleeding by now. _He unwrapped the cloth carefully, and removed his shirt and threw it beside his other garments, his muscular, bare chest naked in the air. Link bit his lip at the wound. It was a deep cut, but it would heal in no time._ How did this happen? How did a __**guard**__ get me like that? I bet it was that sword. It was spectacular. _He glanced at his Master Sword beside his garments_. But not like mine. Mine is truly unique. _

"Your body is so hard!"

Link realized something was poking his abs, and it was the girl. She felt his chest and his arms, and cooed. Link felt like bursting out in laughter. Which he did.

"What're you doing?!"

She looked dazed, then bore her hazel eyes into his blue ones. "Why is it hard like rock?"

Link chuckled. "They're muscles. I use them a lot."

"I use mine a lot and I don't look like that."

"Yes, but you're a girl. And you don't use them in the same way I do."

"Oh. It's really pretty."

"Did you just call me pretty?"

She grinned. "Yes."

Link laughed again, then nodded. "Thank you, I suppose. " _This girl has just made my day._

"Why did you take your clothes off?"

"Because I have an injury, and I need to examine it" he said as he re-wrapped the cloth.

"Oh."

Link grinned, wide and proud. "Look, let's get some more sleep okay?"

She nodded. "Okay." She walked over to her blanket and lay still underneath it.

Link sighed and slept on his uninjured side, thankful she was finally quiet. Then, after about five minutes, he heard footsteps again. He moaned, rubbing his eyes. "What're you doing now?"

"Oh nothing, taking my clothes off."

"Oh. Okay." And fell back into a light slumber. Then he realized what she said. _Did she say taking her clothes off? _He looked to his right and gasped when he saw her bronze back completely exposed, nothing covering the front. He gulped. Was she crazy? She then turned to him, unaware of what she was doing. Before she could completely expose herself, Link shielded his eyes and managed to say "What're you doing?!"

"What?"

"Why'd you take your clothes off?!"

"Because you did."

Link groaned. "Yes…but I'm a boy. Boys can take their shirts off. Girls can't."

She squawked. "Well that seems unfair!"

Link silently laughed at the ludicrousness of the situation. "It is, in some ways. It's just…our chests are different."

The girl looked down at hers, then looked at Link's. "Oh, I see. They are very different. My chest is round, and yours is flat!"

Link still shielded his eyes, shocked. "Yes. Our chests are very different. And besides, I'm injured! Your not!"

"Yes I am! I burned my finger!"

Link silently knocked himself over the head in his mind. _All my fault. _

"Is my chest ugly? Is that way you don't like it?"

"No! No! It's not ugly at all! It's just…the rules."

She gasped. "The rules?! Well why didn't you say so?"

"Yes. It's part of sacred code." Link rolled his eyes. _Sacred code? Really?_

"Well then, for the sacred code, I will put my clothes back on."

Link heard more footsteps, and after about a minute heard her say, "Goodnight Link!" Then she whispered, "Thank you for telling me the sacred code." And she finally went to sleep.

Link uncovered his eyes and glanced at her, seeing a white cloth atop her chest. Link sighed with relief. It was like talking to a baby. They just did everything you did. _She is definitely staying in Kakariko. _And with that, he once again drifted off into deep slumber.

**Thanks for reading this…if you're indeed reading this! Look out for Chapter 5!! Will Link keep her around? Will she stay in Kakariko? Does she get her memory back the next morning? Does she take her clothes off again? Haha. Jk. Stay tuned and review!**


	6. Chapter 5: Traitor

**Chapter 5: Is it the future? Or just a dream?**

The sun had just peeked into the horizon, turning the dark blue sky a lavender shade. The stars still twinkled, and the peaceful quiet of morning still slept on Hyrule. The lavender eventually mingled with orange and pink colors, creating a relaxed aurora around them. Fresh dew glistened in the emerald hills, and this was the time the young woman decided to awaken.

She opened her eyes and smiled, feeling refreshed. _A new day! Oh, how exciting_. She stretched her arms and yawned, gazing up at the sky_. How beautiful._ Her stomach growled, and she realized she was terribly hungry. "I haven't eaten in days" she whispered to herself. She looked around, hoping to find some resources. Luckily enough, she found a grove of trees with red apples dangling in the green leaves, looking ready to eat. She nodded. _That'll do._

As she got up out of her sleeping place, she turned to Link, seeing him rest happily on the floor. She giggled. _He looks so cute. I wonder if that injury still bothers him._ Before heading to the apple tree, she decided to check out his wound.

She clunked down beside him, and slightly pulled back his blanket, exposing his bare chest. She lightly touched his wrapped hip, and a groan escaped his lips. Even in his sleep, the wound hurt enough for him to notice. She bit her lip, and placed a hand on his forehead and kissed it. _Feel better._ She smiled and headed off to the grove.

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Link's eyes fluttered, and opened to the wet, foggy world around him. Gold light peered out of the peach colored sky and snowy clouds. It nestled softly on the green fields, accentuating the morning dew on each blade of grass. Hyrule Field looked like a haven sent by the gods.

Link yawned and stretched, forgetting his injury, and he flinched. It didn't hurt as much as yesterday, but it still needed mending. Link removed his blood-stained gauntlets, and placed them beside his clothes. He was now able to get up on both elbows, which was a good sign. He looked around the campsite, and saw Epona rolling in the grass, in complete euphoria. Link smiled. He and Epona shared a special connection ever since Fado's mare Sicilia, had died from fatigue giving birth to Epona. From then on, Link cared for her as she didn't have a mother, and comforted her when she was lonely. Epona had always had a bit of anxiety, and couldn't be from Link for too long. He was like her guardian, her best friend.

Link noticed the girl wasn't in her 'bed', the thin tan sheet laying crumpled on the floor. He looked off into the enclosed area of trees, and saw a figure emerge from them. It was her, and she had two apples, one already bitten. She looked to Link grinned widely, and shouted "Hey!"

He smiled and waved to her. She plopped down beside him, giving the wet grass a crunch, handing him an apple. "Hungry?"

"Mhm."

They ate in silence for about a minute. "I'm sorry. You know…about last night?"

Link chuckled. "It's fine really. I mean, you didn't do it on purpose."

She hid her face behind her hand. "I embarrassed myself. I'm such a fool."

Link frowned. "You are not. There's no need to stress about something that already happened. We make mistakes, and we learn from them. Otherwise, we wouldn't know anything at all."

She looked at him, still flustered, but his soothing eyes reassured her. She sighed and nodded.

Link bit into his apple. "So, how did you know how to stop the bleeding? You know, on my wound?" he asked as he chewed.

She put the apple into her hands and gazed at it, thinking. "Well, I had a dream. Or…a memory if I can recall. There was a little girl and her mother in a library, both in very fine clothing, and they were talking about princess training or something. Then the little girl cut her finger on the paper, and the mother told her how to stop the bleeding. Then, I woke up from it, and got right to work." She looked back up at him. "They also mentioned something about a fairytale. Ganon was his name, and a hero." She shook her head. "That's all I can remember."

Link listened closely to her story, trying to visualize the "dream". "Did you say Ganon?" She nodded. "Hmm…that's interesting." He looked up at her, as if thinking deeply. After a couple of seconds of studying her face, he relaxed his expression. "You've regained some of your memory haven't you?"

She nodded, surprised. "How did you know?"

He studied her again. "I can tell by the way you look at things. You know what they are, you have knowledge. And your speech is more clear than yesterday's. You know what certain things are, like" he held up his apple, "what is this?"

"An apple?"

"What color is it?"

"Red?"

"What kind of red?"

"What is this? Trivia?"

He grinned. "See? Like that. You speak like an educated teenager, not three year old baby."

She gasped. "I spoke like a child?"

He cocked his head. "Well….no. But you didn't know anything about anything."

She smiled. "Like my clothes?"

He laughed. "Yes, like your clothes." He poked her arm. "They stay on your body!"

She laughed and shoved him. "Shut up."

They laughed for a bit, and Link ruffled his hair. "Do you remember anything about yourself? Like your name? Or where you come from?"

She bit her lip. "No. All I know are basic things. But I don't remember who I am, or where I'm from, or how old I am. I have no clue."

Link tapped his chin. "Well, let's give you a name, hm? So I have something to call you?"

She smiled. "That'd be fine."

"How about…Sasha? Or Danielle?"

She wrinkled her nose. "No, something named after nature. Like, _cielo_."

"Siell-what?"

She raised an eyebrow. "You don't know what _cielo_ means?" He shook his head. "It means sky. Or luna. Luna means moon."

"What language is that?"

"I'm not sure. I just know it."

Link smiled. "I like sky. We'll call you Sky until we find out your real name, okay?"

She smiled. "That's fine."

Link finished his apple, tossing the core to Epona. She neighed and happily ate it, nudging him a thank you. He reached over to his bag and pulled out a purple potion. He would drink it now and rest, so by the afternoon he would be semi-healed. As he uncorked the bottle, a rotten odor drifted through the air, alerting Sky and Epona.

"Oh my goodness! What is that?"

Link's nose twitched in disgust. "A healing potion. I really didn't want to take it before, but, it'll make me better before we continue on to Kakariko." He held his nose, and forced the liquid down his throat, gagging as he did so. He dropped the bottle and wiped his mouth, shaking his head slightly. "It's disgusting."

Sky waved the air. "You poor thing. Must taste like rotten fruit. Ugh."

Link coughed, and a sneezed. "Funny thing is, if you drink when you're in perfect health, it actually damages your health."

"That's how bad it is?"

"Mhm." He rolled back in his sheets, and placed his head on the saddle, closing his eyes and relaxing. He inhaled deeply, planning out his day. _Rest. Wake up. Go to Kakariko. Heal. Leave her there with Renado. Stay night there or continue on to task? Go to Zora's Domain first? Or Hyrule Castle? _A voice plunged into his thoughts, and a wave of annoyance flashed across his face. He peeled his right eye open and glanced at Sky, who was still talking.

"…and we can go explore in the forests and stuff. Just you and I and your horse! Oh, doesn't that sound like fun?" She excitedly looked at Link, who didn't look all too excited himself. "Oh…are you going back to sleep?"

He nodded. "I need to get a little more strength before we head on to Kakariko. Don't want to fall off Epona again."

Sky blinked. "Oh…right. I'm sorry." She stroked her long, brown hair, twirling the beach waves. "Oh! Link! Where is Kakariko? And why are we going there?"

Link sighed, but did not open his eyes. "Because they have a hot spring there that heals injuries very quickly. And it'll provide you shelter."

"Provide me shelter? Well, your staying with me aren't you?"

Link didn't answer. Inside, he could feel her disappointment, but he knew that her not coming with him was for the best. She would only get hurt and get in the way, and that's how he got into this mess in the first place. He sighed, and rolled unto his right side, drifting off into sleep.

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_It was dark and it was cold. He was surrounded by a stone cell, and banged hard against the rock, screaming for help. He was on the verge of panic. He didn't know where he was, or what was going on. It was like being trapped in Hyrule Prison all over again, but with no one to rescue him. He stopped pounding, panting heavily, and slipped down onto the dirty floor. He felt like crying, like screaming, like running. He didn't feel himself. _

_He took a deep breath and told himself to relax. He was shaking violently, and put his hands to his face to warm up. However, as he removed them, he found dark blood on his palms, and gasped. He rubbed it on his clothing, then touched his face again. He clenched his hands into fists and grit his teeth. 'Who did this?' He thought._

"_I did."_

_The blonde-haired man, Link, jumped and turned around. What surprised him was even more of a surprise than the surprise itself. He was as black as a Twili monster, and his eyes glowed red with fire. There was no mistaking him. Dark Link. _

"_You", Link breathed. _

_Dark Link smiled cunningly. "Me. I believe I have some…unfinished business with you." His voice was abnormally deep, and was dripped with death._

_Link narrowed his eyes. "Business? What business?" _

_Dark Link's smile faded in a flash, and grabbed Link's throat, forcing him up on the wall. "You have something I want. I need. I…" he shuddered. "Crave." _

_Link didn't struggle against his grip, but glared at him with fiery sapphire eyes. "What?"_

"_You." He tossed Link across the dusty floor, a heavy thud coming from the stone. _

_Link lay there, analyzing what was happening. 'What does he want with me? What am I to him?' He groaned, and pushed himself to his feet. He stood strong and tall, looking directly at the evil before him. "What do you mean?"_

_Dark Link clapped his hands together, and laughed. "I need you Link. You and I have the power to control the Triforce. Together, we could accomplish anything." He walked to him slowly. "You and I are the same."_

_Link growled. "We will never be the same!" He roared._

_Dark Link circled him slowly, obviously playing with him. "Ah, but we are. I am inside you, part of you." He stopped behind him and put his hand on Link's rough shoulder, and whispered in his ear. "I am you."_

_Link pushed away from him, and turned, only to find he was not there. He looked from side to side. "You are a demon. I will never join you."_

"_Ah, but you already have." Link turned around quickly, seeing Dark Link before him. "I am your shadow, Link. Your evil thoughts. The Goddesses say you are pure, but I know the real truth." He put a hand on Link's cheek, almost affectionately. He leaned in and said, "You are a traitor."_

_Link closed his eyes, angrier than ever, and threw a punch at Dark Link, straight to the face. "NO!"_

_Dark Link caught it and twisted his hand and arm, and Link cried out in pain. "You are weak!" He smiled. "But in time you will become stronger. Until our next meeting." He let go of Link's hand forcefully and drifted ghost-like through the cell bars, his blood-red eyes never leaving Link's form. He raised his hands before him, and chanted. _

_Link realized what he was doing, and threw himself at the bars screaming. A huge wave of darkness hit him, and everything stopped._

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"NO!" Link shot straight up, panting and sweating. His eyes fluttered, and he looked around. _Just a dream…just a dream. _He put his left hand to his face, breathing heavily into it. He felt a shiver go down his spine, sending chills throughout his body. His hand slid over his mouth, and looked ahead with fear etched across his face. Only then did he notice his Triforce was burning, more than it usually did. He gazed at it, and gulped. _I am not him. We are not the same. I…I am not a traitor. _

He shook his raggedy blonde head, cold sweat falling from his face. He was obviously very shaken, and he couldn't put a point on why. There were too many questions running through his mind, but the one that kept jabbing him in the back of his brain was: "Am I a traitor?"

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, then stood up for the first time in hours, his blankets falling to his feet. It seemed the potion had worked its magic, as the pain in his side was now merely a cramp. He removed the wrap at his waist to see the wound was no longer bleeding, and was starting to heal rather quickly. Link sighed with relief. _Well, that's something good. _He looked to his right and saw a crumpled blanket, and Epona over by a tree, enjoying her spare time and endless green grass. _Wait, where's the girl?_

He looked straight ahead and nodded. As he walked forward, he tossed his wrap beside his other clothes, which weren't there. Link blinked. _Where are my clothes?_ He remembered that over the grassy hill there was a large stream, fresh water drifting through it all days at all hours. _Maybe she's there._ He continued up and over the hill, and saw below the rounded, sandy cliff was the stream, his clothes, and Sky beside it. He took in breath, and proceeded forward. "Hey."

Startled, she stopped washing his green tunic and turned around. "Oh! Link! You're awake!" She looked at the tunic and back up at him again. "Um…I washed your shirt for you."

Link pursed his lips. "Oh, um, thank you." He rubbed the back of his neck. "You really didn't have t-"

"No! I wanted to! Besides, who wants to run around in bloody, torn clothes all day?" She faked a laugh." Not me!" She giggled as scrubbed his tunic, then turned to him and her smile faded. "What's wrong?"

Link realized he had been staring ahead and looked at her. "Um….it's nothing." His eyes gazed to the sandy ground. "Nothing important."

Sky shook her head gently, concerned. "No, something's wrong. You look…scared." She put a hand on Link's cheek and he flinched. "You're hot. And sweaty too. Did you have a bad dream?"

Link coughed lightly. "You could say that."

She tilted his chin and stared into his eyes, her twinkling hazel ones hypnotizing him. "It's fine. It was just a dream." She caressed his cheek. "You're fine."

Link grabbed her hand and held it. "Thank you. I just needed some…reassuring."

Sky smiled and let go of his hand, returning to the wet cloth. "So, your injury is all better hm?" She nodded to his waist.

Link gave a small smile and glanced at his wound. "Yeah. That potion really did the trick. Of course the hot spring will be better."

Sky smiled. "I think anything would be better than that foul smelling stuff." She finished scrubbing his tunic, then handed the wet material to him. "Here you go! All new. Just hang it over the fire and you should be fine." She gave a sweet smile, then walked to the oak tree beside the stream with the rest of his clothes on it.

Link looked at the wet cloth in his hands and sighed. He grasped it tightly and walked back up the hill rather briskly, igniting a fire on the-already-burnt wood. He set up a hanger system made out of sticks (a rather sad looking on at that) and let his wet tunic hang dry above the fire.

Link decided it would be a good time for a bath, especially since he was dirty and sweaty, and his clothes were being washed. He removed his pants and boots, revealing his brown bloomer shorts underneath. He stood back up and walked to the stream again, catching Sky by surprise as she knelt to the earth, drowning his collared shirt.

"Link! You are in your underwear!"

Link blushed a rosy pink color and bit his lip. "Yeah, you don't mind if I bathe right? I'm pretty grimy."

She stood up, looked him up and down, and grinned. "I suppose you are pretty dirty. And the water might be good for that gash too." Sky nodded to his wound. "As long you don't take your pants off, I don't mind."

Link smirked. "Look who's talking."

Sky gasped and laughed at the same time. "It's not my fault! How was I to know?" Link shrugged. "You're never going to let that go, are you?"

Link chuckled and winked at her. "Nope." And with that, he sped off and dived gracefully into the crystal water, leaving barely a splash. When his head broke the surface, his hair was no longer dirty-blonde but a rich brown, and he had a big smile on his heavenly face.

Sky giggled. "Having fun?"

Link looked to her and grinned, showing off those perfect, pearly whites. "Uh-huh!" He splashed playfully at her. "Why don't you join me?"

She shook her head, her brunette locks flowing with it. "No, I can't. I'm much too busy."

Link shrugged. "Suit yourself!" And he dove off into the crystal water below him.

Sky smiled to herself. _Out of all the people in Hyrule, I get paired with him. Thank you gods._


	7. Chapter 6, Part 1: Sky

**(MUST READ) Author's Note: ****Okay, so this chapter took me forever to write because I would rather act it out then write it. . I finally got it done, and it took me some major character soul searching. You'll see some big character changes in this chapter and lots of violence, just letting you know. I tried to make it as long as I could, which ended up being two parts. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE review. I want to know what you think of my story, it's important to me because this will be a long one. Thankies and enjoy! (:**

**Chapter 6: Part 1:**** Sky.**

The afternoon was extraordinarily sunny, also shortening the drying time of Link's clothes. He and Sky sat around the fire on their blankets, just staring into the flaming pit, wondering what they were going to do next. An awkward silence wandered between them. Sky cleared her throat.

"So, um…Link. What, exactly, are we doing after this?"

Link blinked, breaking his gaze from the fire. He shook his hairy head, and looked up to the azure sky, and sighed. "Well, I've planned that we'll pack up, head off to Kakariko" he pointed to a bridge beside the hill they were atop. "and stay there for the night."

Sky put a gentle hand on his beige shoulder. "Link, I'm coming with you after that, right?"

Link bit his lip and looked to the ground. "Um…I think it'd be best if you stay out of the way…for now."

She removed her hand and intertwined her own. "Yes, but I feel that when I'm with you, I just…remember things. I feel like you help me remember. And I don't want to lose it so soon! I'm afraid I'll forget everything again. I want to keep remembering…I don't want it to end." She put a soft hand on his cheek, turning him to her, gazing into his blue eyes. "Not yet."

Link removed her hand and stared ahead. "I'll think about it." He looked back down at the flaming pit, reaching a hand out to his garments. "Hey! My clothes are dry now!" He smiled. "Looks like we can get going."

Sky stood up, picked up the blankets, and nestled them into Epona's saddle, then placed the heavy saddle onto her back. Link, slipping on his green tunic, walked over to her and helped her, only to return back to his spot and tie on his belts, wallets, bags, sword, shield, and hat. He approached Sky, his fists on his hips and threw on a huge, goofy smile. "Well! We're all set!"

Sky gaped at him, blinked three times, and fell into a fit of uncontrollable laughter.

"What? What's so funny?"

Sky pointed to him, her other arm around her waist as she fell to her knees, her alluring laugh ringing through the air. "Nice pants!"

Link raised an eyebrow, peered down and gasped. He had forgotten his pants and boots. _Really? Was it really so hard to remember to put your pants on? _He rolled his eyes and walked back to the campfire, slipping on his tan pants and tucking them into brown leather boots. He turned back to her. "How about now?"

She still giggled, and nodded. "That looks about right." She laughed again.

Link narrowed his eyes and blushed wildly. "Hey! You can't say anything Miss I'm-going-to-take-my-clothes-off-in-front-of-some-stranger!"

Sky stopped laughing, and placed her hands on her hips, narrowing her eyes as well. "That's not fair. I wasn't in my right mind! YOU, however, were!"

Link grinned and waved a hand. "Nah, I'm only messing with you." He walked beside her and peered up to the violet sky, silver dots awakening in the newly-found dark. The sun was only starting to set, which would indicate that they would reach Kakariko by nightfall. Link patted Epona's saddle. "So, front or back?"

Sky cocked her head, confused. "What?"

"Do you want to sit in front of me, or behind me?"

"Um….behind you!"

Link nodded and pushed himself unto the auburn leather seat, settling himself in the big saddle. "Hop on."

Sky put her foot into the stirrup, and clumsily eased her way up. Luckily, her height was an advantage. She clung onto Link's waist, although they hadn't even moved. "Are we going yet?"

Link smiled. "Are you afraid or something? I'll go slow if you want."

Sky nodded her head. "That'd be nicer. Not slow, but not as fast as before."

Link nodded and took control of the reins, holding them loosely in his left hand. With a tap of his feet to Epona's side, she started off at a trot, gaiting herself into a canter. He felt Sky's grip tighten. He looked over his shoulder to face her. "Hey, relax. You won't fall off." He flashed her a smile and looked forward. Then he had an idea. "Hey, switch seats with me for a minute."

The bronze color drained from Sky's face. "Huh?"

"C'mon, just for a second." Link put Epona to a halt. "Trust me."

Sky bit her lip and stared at him for a moment. She then sighed and gestured him to move over. Link easily slipped off the horse, then slid up behind her. Sky whimpered. "Link, I'm nervous."

Sky felt Link's arms stride past her waist, holding the reins. Feeling so close to him, a stranger, made her a bit anxious, but she liked it. Even though he was technically a stranger, there was a good aurora and humbleness about him. She closed her eyes and sighed, leaning back on his chest.

Link looked blankly at the beautiful girl practically in his arms and smiled. "Comfortable?"

"Quite actually. So, what is the purpose of me sitting in front?"

"I'm going to show you something. It'll ease you." He clicked his tongue and tapped Epona sharply with his inside foot, the Quarter Horse springing into an easy canter. Link felt Sky tense up in his arms, and with his right hand, gently touched her arm. "Relax. And sit up." She obeyed. "Now, close your eyes."

"Close my eyes?! I'm not closing my eyes! I'll get even more scare-"

"Trust me." Link said in a gentle voice. He looked around her shoulder and her bright hazel eyes glared at him. He said nothing, but his piercing blue eyes and small smile reassured her. She took in a deep breath, and closed her eyes. Link placed her hands on the horn of the seat, helping her keep balance. After a couple of seconds he said, "How do you feel now?"

"Terrified."

"That's it?"

Sky hesitated. "I feel…happy. It's something about the movement."

Link chuckled. "Good, that's good." He put his hands on her bare arms and whispered gently to her, "Now, you're going to have to trust me on this. You trust me, don't you?" She nodded. "Good." He slowly raised her hands from the horn and put them out beside her, like a _T. _Link still had hold of her arms for balance.

"Can I open my eyes now?"

Link laughed. "No! Don't open them yet! They're….they're closed right?" He looked around her to check. Sky's right eye popped open. "Sky…" She groaned and closed them again. He slowly let go out her arms, leaving her in the air on her own. Link reached for the reins again.

"How do you feel?"

They were both riding in Hyrule Field along the sunset, a strong breeze catching them every so often, the gold light of the sun shimmering underneath the peach clouds and above the green fields and trees. It was truly a marvelous sight.

"I feel like an angel! I feel…" She smiled. "…like I'm flying." She giggled. "I'm really flying." As she said that, Epona stumbled on the earth, lurching Sky forward, completely off balance. Link wrapped his arm around her waist to help her up.

"Are you alright?"

Sky turned back to him, her cheeks slightly flushed. "Uh-huh. That was embarrassing." When he smiled, she felt her heart drop. _Wow, he's so handsome ._She smiled to him too and turned around, not letting go of the horn for the rest of the trip.

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When they arrived in Kakariko Village, it was already nightfall, and the village was like a ghost town. Wind was running in like a storm, and the rumble of Death Mountain could be heard. Tumbleweeds drifted across the road, and the only light in the town was casted from the moon and stars and Renado's home.

Link hopped off Epona, reaching a hand to Sky, helping her down. Link left Epona by the Eldin Spring, letting her help herself to the hot water. Link threw his arms open. "Welcome to Kakariko Village."

Sky walked forward, and rubbed her bare feet into the ground. "Hmm...clay and mud." She looked to Renado's house and cocked her head. "This is a very strange place. Very…empty." She walked over to a dead tree and patted it. "Almost like death struck."

Link winced. "That's because it did."

Sky turned to him, surprised. "What?"

Link briskly walked over to her, also looking up at the tree. "About a year ago, monsters from another world entered ours and destroyed many towns and lives. Kakariko was one of the unlucky victims."

Sky frowned. "Where did everyone go?"

Link looked down. "They were killed. Except for three people; Renado, his daughter Luda, and the bomb shop owner." He looked to her, seeing her sad expression. "They've been more alive lately, thanks to the Gorons." He put a hand on her shoulder. "C'mon, let's go tell Renado we're here." She nodded and followed him into the home.

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Renado was polishing the wooden statue above the cellar when Link entered, relieved he didn't intrude on anything important. The tall man turned around, and threw his arms open. "Ah Link! How wonderful it is to see you!" Renado dropped the rag onto the clay floor, and welcomed Link with a short hug and hand shake.

Link nodded his head toward Sky. "This, Renado, is Sky. She's a…friend of mine."

"Hello," Sky nodded behind him.

"Sky, it is a pleasure to meet any friend of Link's. I am Renado." Renado stuck out his hand and shook hers a bit hard.

"It's very nice to meet you. I am so sorry about the village by the way."

Link smacked his head with his palm, letting it slide down his face. "Sky, let's not bring that up, okay?"

She looked at him confused, her mouth in the shape of an O. She clamped it shut and blushed. "I'm sorry."

Renado smiled warmly. "It is fine. My daughter is safe, and I cannot ask for anything more." He turned to Link. "So, what brings you to Kakariko?"

"Well, I've been sent on a task, and picked her up on the way, and we needed a place to stay." Link glanced at Sky then whispered to Renado, "I need to talk to you about something, in private. Later though." Renado nodded, and Link continued on. "Is it alright if we stay in the Inn and use the hot spring? I injured myself as well."

Renado clapped his hands. "Anything for the Hero of Hyrule. You may stay as long as you like." Renado removed a small key from his pocket and gave it to Link. "This is the key to the Inn. I hope you enjoy your visit."

Link nodded. "Thank you. C'mon Sky" he said, and headed out the door.

Sky followed behind him before turning around to say 'thank you'. She followed Link to big building across the street, ripped banners hanging from the door and posts. As Sky followed Link inside the dark building, she said "Are there any lights in here?"

At that moment, a warm light came from the chandelier above, with Link smiling beside a light switch. Sky grinned to him. "Thanks." She followed him up a winding staircase, looking around. The Inn was very torn up. Tables and chairs were broken and turned over, shards of broken glass hung from the chandelier and on the floor. Posters and tapestries were ripped and faded, and it smelled of sawdust. Although it was very messy, it was also very warm and comforting, in a homey way. Then she thought of something. "Wait…didn't that man say something about you being a Hero of Hyrule?" _Link? A hero?_

"Oh! That? Um…heheh. Yeah, he just jokes around a lot. I'm not actually a hero."

When they reached the top, Sky walked into a room with about five beds, two of which were squished or broken up by the wooden beams on the ceiling. Sky plopped herself on a bed, relaxing in it. "He didn't seem like the kind of man who jokes around a lot."

Link shrugged. "A lot of people aren't who they seem. You can never judge someone." He removed his boots and hat, his green tunic, belts and sheathe, and his gold chainmail. "Hey listen; I'm going to go talk to Renado for a second and then go bathe. You're welcome to use the hot spring above, or just relax here." He pointed to the stairs leading up to the rooftop.

Sky nodded. "I'll go bathe later. I'm a bit tired."

Link nodded, and made his way out of the room, down the stairs, out of the Inn, and knocked on Renado's door twice. A deep voice came from within, and Link entered the home. Renado was sitting there, before his statue, ready to give Link his full attention.

"So, young hero, what is it you wish to speak to me about?"

Link sat down in front of him, crossing his legs. "Well, you know that girl Sky? It's actually not her name, and I actually have no idea who she is, but neither does she. The children from Ordon and I were in a sacred forest-"

"You mean the Sacred Grove?"

Link raised an eyebrow. "Who do you know about the Sacred Grove?"

"There are many things I know about Hyrule. But yes, continue."

"Well, we were in the Sacred Grove, and they had found a tree house to play in. Beth stole a necklace from the tree house, and back in Ordon I found out. I then received a letter from the Zora's saying that Prince Ralis has been kidnapped, or he's gone missing. They've asked me to go and look for him, with the help of their people.

"Well, on the way, I stop by the Sacred Grove to drop off the necklace, and she appears out of nowhere. She's apparently been there for a long time. She also said once a month, men from another land come by and take items from her that she must retrieve for them.

"Almost coincidentally, these men show up, and they were like anything I've ever seen! They were about seven feet tall, and had dark skin like hers. They had black symbols tattooed into their chests, and spoke this really rough, weird language-"

"What color were their eyes?"

"Um, the leader had gold ones, I think. The other men were wearing helmets, but I think they were brown."

"They sound like the Gerudo to me."

Link gasped. "The Gerudo? But they became extinct, like hundred years ago. Didn't they?"

Renado tapped his chin with fingers. "They are known to be extinct, but you never know."

Link bit his lip. "Now that you mention it, they did look similar. Sky looks it too."

Renado stared at the floor for a moment, in deep though. After several minutes, and looked back up at Link. "Are you sure she doesn't remember anything from where she's from? Her name? Her age? Nothing?"

Link cracked his knuckles. "Well, she did mention something in another language. It was _Luna_ I think. She said it means moon."

Renado rubbed his chin. "Hmm…that is a language I have never heard." He looked at Link seriously. "Just give her a few days time, and she may start to clear up her memory."

Link bit his lip. "That's what I've been meaning to ask you. You see, she's nice to talk too, but she gets in the way. Like when I was fighting off those men, she kept distracting me and their leader" he lifted his shirt to show Renado the wound on his left waist. "gave me this."

Renado's eyes widened at the wound. "That's a deep cut, my boy. The hot spring will heal it for you."

Link nodded. "Yes, that's another reason I'm here. And I have this task to do, and she'll only be in danger, and those men will probably come looking for her in the fields, so…I was wondering-"

"If she could stay with me?"

"It's not a problem, is it?"

Renado shook his head. "Not at all. It'd be wonderful to have another person in the village. Luda would also enjoy having another girl to talk to." He nodded his head to his right, where Luda was sleeping ona cot. "Don't worry about waking her. She's a deep sleeper." He turned back to Link. "What will you do with her after your task?"

Link scratched his arm. "Well, I was thinking of bringing her back to Ordon with me, unless she's already recovered. But thank you Renado for all you've done. I'll have to pay you one of these days."

Renado swiped his hand over Link. "No, I have much to thank you for. You _are_ the Hero of Hyrule." He got up and moved over to Luda, standing over her. "I think you should pay a visit to the hot springs before that injury gets infected, hm?"

Link nodded and stood. "Thank you," he said, and headed out the door.

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When Link returned to the room at the Inn, he found Sky in her faded wrap-around dress, her dark hair dripping wet. She sat on the bed next to his, looking out the window.

Link walked past her and sat on his own bed, grinning to her. "Entertained?"

Sky smiled, still looking out the window. "Oh yes, the stars are so bright here, and the moon is so big."

"I see you took a bath in the spring."

Sky turned to him. "Oh, it was wonderful Link! So hot and relaxing! I almost didn't want to leave!"

Link stood and removed his shirt, and slid it under the bed with his other clothes. "That's good to know. Time to heal this wound."

Sky's gaze drifted from his eyes to his waist, a gasp escaping her lips. "Link! It looks awful!" She stood up and touched one hand to his wound, the other on his chest. She examined it, wincing as she did. She looked back up at him. "Does it hurt?"

He shrugged. "Not as much as before. It's just a cramp." She raised an eyebrow. "Fine, a really bad cramp." He laughed. "Don't worry about it! I'm fine." He looked at her, with her bright eyes and long eyelashes. _She's so pretty. Damn, I always get paired with all the pretty girls. Not a bad thing though. _He chuckled aloud, then took her hand from his chest and kissed it. "I'm fine."

"I believe you! Now let me go, your making me blush!" She laughed and sat back down on her bed, gazing out the window.

"As you say, your highness."

"Pshh, highness to what?"

"Highness to the forest!"

"Oh yes! I'm the princess of some forest."

Link smiled and walked up the stairs to the roof. "I'm out."

Up on the rooftop, the air was cooler and the wind was rougher, causing Link's hair to rustle dramatically. He climbed up the last few steps, his feet reaching the base of the spring. He removed his pants and undergarment, stepping naked into the hot spring. As he lay his back on a rock, he exhaled a deep breath, a smile escaping his lips. He closed his eyes and lay there, completely relaxed, never wanting to get out. He thought to himself, thinking of the day's events.

_I feel bad about leaving Sky here. She'll be mad at me for leaving her, but it's for her own good. So wait, should I head to Zelda or the Zora's first? I think I'm closer to Zelda, and it'd be nice to pay a visit. She could probably send out a search party too. That would help a lot…_

_How did all of this happen? Who I am? Why am I the Chosen One? And since when? Why do I have the Hero of Time's clothes? Who is the Hero of Time? Am I…am I the Hero of Time?_

Thoughts kept pouring into his mind, making it hard to hear all of them.

_Why is my name Link? Who are my parents? Where are my parents? How did the Goddesses choose me? I was just a ranch hand. No one important…_

He rubbed his face with his wet hand, the Triforce catching his attention.

_How did I get the Triforce? I know the Goddesses chose me, but why does it glow sometimes? What exactly is the Triforce…_

_It all began that one day. If I hadn't found Midna, if Bulbin had killed me, what would've happened? Midna…_

_Stop._

Link slipped his head under the hot water, then broke the surface, his hair slicked to his neck. He put his left hand on his waist, not feeling the cramp anymore. He stood in the spring, the water right below his hips, and examined his waist. The wound had already healed, and Link felt quite rejuvenated. He went over to his clothes and shook his body, somewhat getting the water off. In about a minute, he was semi-dry, thanks to the wind. He slipped on his underwear and pants, then walked down the roof to the stairs, back into the room.

As he walked over to his bed, fiddling with his hair, he stopped walking when he saw Sky and chuckled lightly. She was fast asleep in her sitting position, her head against the window. Link moved over to her, and gently shook her shoulder. "Sky. Sky, wake up."

"Hmmph...mmmmm." She cracked an eye open, and grinned. "Oh, I fell asleep, didn't I?" She said as she yawned. She stretched her arms out and plopped unto her back, her beach hair strewn about the mattress, her face smiling up at Link. "You're better I see." She nodded to his side. "It's not bruised purple anymore."

Link looked to his waist and frowned. "Well, it's healed, but it left behind a scar."

Sky snorted. "Oh please. You're a man Link! So what if you have a scar? I think it makes you look more buff." She winked.

Link laughed. "Well isn't that nice?" He heard a grumbling noise, and made note it was his stomach. "Woah, I just realized we haven't eaten since morning. You hungry?"

She nodded painfully. "Extremely. I was going to say something, but I didn't want to complain."

Link waved a hand. "Complain? You _have_ to eat y'know. It's part of life. C'mon, let's see what they have in the kitchen."

The kitchen didn't have much food, except for fresh cucco eggs Luda would stock up every time a cucco pooped out one. Link turned on the dusty stove, flames igniting under the metal. He reached under the pantry for a pan, and reluctantly looked around for butter. He didn't fine any, but decided it wasn't needed anyway. He let the pan warm up for a bit, then cracked the eggs onto the side, pouring out the yolk. After about seven minutes, their food was ready.

Sky and Link talked about Ordon and Hyrule as they ate, while Sky asked him more questions about Kakariko. After they finished, they put their wooden plates in a sink, and headed back up to the room, both yawning and dragging their feet. When they reached the room, they lay in their beds, quiet eloping around them.

"Um…Link?"

"Yeah?"

"Do you ever wonder what stars are made of?"

Link shifted in his blankets, his head turning to the window. "Sometimes. Uli told me once that stars were all the people who have died, leaving their souls into stars to be remembered by."

"Do you think that's true?"

"I'm not sure."

Sky bit her lip, and awkward silence forming. "What do you think happens when people die? Where do they go?"

The warm flames in the fire place crackled as Link searched for an answer. _What does happen when we die? _"I think…that we are brought back to life, but as another person. Y'know, like reincarnation?"

"Yeah." Another awkward pause. "Goodnight Link."

"Goodnight."

Their conversation ended there, but their thinking didn't.

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LINK'S POV:

_Goodnight. Heh, she sure is interesting. And she's so pretty too. Man, her skin! It's incredible. Like a shiny copper pan, or gold glitter. And her eyes…bright hazel. What color is that…like jade?_

_Woah man. Stop yourself. You just met this girl two days ago. You barely know her! _

_And I already like her. _

_But you like her looks, not her._

_What's wrong with that? She doesn't even know who she is. I'm in no place to judge her personality. I wonder what she thinks of me…_

_Link, stop. _

_Dammit! Why won't I allow myself to be in a relationship? What is wrong with me!_

_It's your hormones. You're a teenager…it's normal._

Link groaned and shut his angel & demon voices out, falling asleep sooner than he expected.

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SKY'S POV:

_I can feel it. Tonight is the night. I'm going to remember everything! Oooohhhh I'm so excited! I wonder what my name really is! And where I'm from, and my family…_

_I know tonight is the night. I'm going to remember! I'm going to remember!_

_So…if I go to sleep and wake up, I'll remember everything? I'm going to sleep now!_

_Oh…I can't! I'm too excited! I want to know everything already!_

_Link is going to be so excited when he sees the real me! Link…_

_Oh, he sure is good-looking. His eyes, oh how they pierce through my heart. So blue! Like crystal water! And his blonde hair. I wonder what I…would look…like…blonde._

And with that, she fell into a deep dream, a dream that would reveal everything.

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_The young girl and her mother were in the library again, this time discussing how father was having trouble with government. Their father was the King of Lothlorien, King of the Amazon. _

_Adaeze and her mother stood beside an open window, looking into the wet rainforest. Toucans and monkeys played in the trees, adding color to the green surroundings. Light poured in through the canopy, into the library, making the wood shine vibrantly. _

_Adaeze turned to her mother and smiled. "It's such a beautiful afternoon, isn't it mother?"_

_Her mother, Marpesia, put an arm around her daughter's waist, pulling her into a hug. "It is darling." She then kneeled to her twelve-year-old daughter's height, and put two manicured hands on her face. Her mother's beautiful features had a look of sadness to them, her eyes looking distressed. "Listen to me, Corazon; whatever happens, I will always love you. No matter what, you will always be my heart."_

_Adaeze's smiling features fell. "What is it mother? What's wrong?" Somewhere in the distance, she heard yelling and screaming of me, and a thundering of a stampede. She looked to the library's entrance, then back at her mom. "Mother! What's going on?!"_

_Marpesia pulled her daughter into a hug, stroking her hair. "Shh, shh. They won't find us in here."_

"_Who won't find us? What's going on? Is daddy in trouble?"_

"_Hush, my darling. Hush."_

_They embraced there for a couple seconds, until they heard pounding on the doors and screaming from outside. Adaeze pulled out of her mother's embrace, surprised. "What is going on?!" She yelled. Her mother stood, and a single tear fell from her hazel eyes. Adaeze gasped. "Mother, you're crying."_

_Marpesia nodded. "Despite the rules, it is sometimes okay to cry." She swiped it away with a delicate finger, and after that, everything happened so fast. _

_Ten soldiers broke through the wooden doors, swarming to them like bees after honey. Adaeze screamed when she saw the men, and quickly ran from her mother's side, running to the other side of the library. Men violently grabbed Marpesia, slapping her and throwing her to the ground. They yelled some curse words at her, and dragged her by her hair out of the library. Once outside, they forced her up and tied her wrists with rope, so tightly it seemed to cut off her circulation. _

_Inside, Adaeze ran as fast as she could through isles, dodging the huge men at any angle they threw themselves at her. As she ran, the isles smashed down behind her, crushing her if she didn't run fast enough. She was panting furiously, hearing the men's' screams echoing around the library. They screamed various things: "GET HER!" "GET THAT LITTLE BITCH!" "ASAI WANTS THEM DEAD!" Adaeze stopped short. 'Asai? Asai was my father's best friend! H- he's the one behind this?' _

_Multiple pairs of strong, dark arms suddenly grabbed her, making her panic. She thrashed around, hitting and kicking. But it was no use; the men were far stronger than she was. They thrust her arms behind her, binding her wrists together. They dragged her out by her elbows, and once outside, Adaeze saw her mother's exotic face bleeding and bruised, her fantastic clothing ripped and messy. This made Adaeze shake with anger. She was terrified, yes, but felt a source of power in her somewhere. The tattoo on her left foot burned like a jellyfish sting, making it hard for her to put weight on both feet. The men then grunted, and lead them down the long, marvelous hallway, past sunny windows, past gold lights and colorful paintings. The red carpet felt plush against Adaeze's bare feet, giving her some comfort._

_They lead the two women into the throne room, where it was dim and the light was blocked out by colossal guards standing in front of the windows. Red stains covered the marble floor and purple carpet; blood. Adaeze felt like screaming out in terror, she felt like crying. But she remained somewhat calm, knowing that if she freaked out, it would only make matters worse, because they just got awful. _

_As they were forced across the room, Adaeze saw a man in black robes sitting on the throne, his hood covering his face. She soon found herself within five feet of the man, then felt pressure on her shoulders, forcing her to her knees. However, she never took her eyes off the man. He stood, the only part of his face visible was his mouth, which shifted from a frown to a smirk. He nodded to the men behind Adaeze and Marpesia, and Adaeze felt the man's rough hands leave her arms. She gulped as the man reached for his hood, and slowly took it off. She gasped when the man was revealed. It was indeed Asai. _

_Asai was a man who served the king, but had bonded a very close friendship with him. Now, he was standing on the king's throne, his own best friend's blood shed across the room. He was a traitor._

_Asai was a very sinister looking man. He had light grey eyes, very rare for an Amazonian, and olive colored skin. He had a long scar that ran from his right eyebrow to his right nostril, a scar he had received in combat. He had long black hair tied into a loose ponytail, and a thick mouth. His smirk soon turned into a snarl, and paced back and forth in front of them. He stopped in front of Marpesia, tilting her chin to look up at him. Her face had no fear written on it, only bravery and strength. Adaeze admired her mother's courage. _

"_Marpesia, Queen of Lothlorien…" he started. An onyx sword appeared in his right hand, and he held it to her throat. "I am afraid I no longer have any use for you."_

_Marpesia still spoke. "Wait. I have one last request."_

_Asai cocked an eyebrow, obviously surprised. "And, what is this last request?"_

_Marpesia looked him dead in the eyes, her own eyes exploding with fire. "Do not harm my daughter."_

_Asai laughed. "Foolish woman. I suppose though, I should keep this affair somewhat civilized." And with that, he stabbed her right through the chest, letting her die slowly. Adaeze screamed at the sight, and tried to stand up, but the man behind her forced her down and held her there._

"_MOM! MOM!!!!" _

_Asai's sword slowly pulled out, fresh blood on the black blade. With a grunt and scream, he quickly sliced at her neck, her head smoothly becoming detached from the rest of her body. The dead body fell sideways, laying still._

_Adaeze just sat there in shock, dazed, no words coming out her mouth. She wasn't even sure if she was breathing. A finger lifted her own chin up, forcing her to look at her parents' killer in the eyes. She grit her teeth and grunted, spitting on his face. Asai smiled, wiping his face with the back of hand. "This one has power. I can see it in her eyes. She could become very useful in a few years." He looked at the man behind Adaeze. "Take her to Hyrule." _

_Adaeze felt herself lifted up and dragged, except this time she didn't stay calm and still. She screamed at the top of her lungs, her heart feeling crushed. She thrashed her arms and legs around, and time seemed to slow down as he dragged her down the royal staircase. She fought off the big man dragging her, and kicked him in the groin, causing him to release her and cry out in pain. She ran back up the stairs at full speed. She wanted to choke Asai, wanted to smash his big head on metal; she wanted to kill him. However, before the she reached the top of the staircase, another guard caught her foot, causing her to lose her balance and trip. She tried to fall onto her arms, but they were tied behind her back. She fell head first onto the marble staircase, her head hitting the sharp edge of a step. _

_Adaeze felt her breathing slow down, and everything went black._

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She shot right up in bed, sweat on her forehead, her body shaking violently. She put her hands to her face and gasped. All the emotions in her dream were now real, because it wasn't a dream; it was her life.

"I know who I am."


	8. Chapter 6, Part 2: Adaeze

**Author's Note:**** I have been working sooooo hard on this chapter, so**_** please**_** review it and tell me what you think. Now, I have a story for you kiddies. Once upon a time, there used to be a great writer called KelseyRain who could write anything she imagined with such talent, that she aspired to be an author for life. But then, she became an actress, and freshman year of high school, her drama teacher had her leave her novel, third-person world and enter the script world. Now, scripts don't require as much detail as narrative stories do, so she got sooo used to script-form, she's forgotten all her tricks and techniques of the narrative world. **

**I hope you can forgive me (;**

**Chapter 6 Part 2:** **Adaeze**

Adaeze sat in her bed, unable to move. Her brain was receiving all types of information so quickly that she could not even register herself to breathe. She just sat upright, staring at the wooden wall. After about five minutes, she gasped and took in a deep breath. Her eyes drifted down, looking in fear at the bed sheets. Her eyes then shot up, and darted across the room, taking in everything. She was in Kakariko Village, in an inn with some young man named Link. She panicked, and sprung out of bed, standing on the ground.

Her knees felt weak, and she covered her mouth with her hands. She turned in circles, taking in the whole room. She was extremely overwhelmed. Adaeze whimpered, then crashed to her knees, covering her whole face now. "No no no…."

_Mother is dead. Dead. DEAD. _A single tear fell down her cheek. _I must regain composure. Stay calm, do not panic. Mother would not approve of…crying. _She wiped the tear in disgust. _Just find your way out of here. Everything will be okay. No need to panic…_

She stood up quickly, and made note of Link's gentle sleeping frame, his breathing hushed. She quietly made her way over to his bed, and crouched down, reaching underneath the bed frame. _Sword, shield, boots…where is his bag? _Her hand touched some sort of animal skin, and she pulled it from within. It was indeed his bag. She reached inside, looking for his map of Hyrule. _Got it._ She silently closed the bag and slid it back with his other belongings. She then stood up, and made her out of the room, into the lobby. She studied the map, making note of where she was.

_If I'm in Kakariko, which is here, where is the nearest ship port? Is there even a beach at all? How did I even get here? _

Adaeze rolled up the map in her hands and sped down the stairs, her devastated heart seemingly adding weight to her speed. She forced herself to keep in her panic, wanting to be like her mother had when she was killed. _Be brave. Be brave. _Unfortunately, she was not as graceful as her mother was, and tripped over her own dress, and crashed down the stairs, making loud impact as she hit the floor. She angrily cried out, her fist slamming into the wood flooring.

"Sky?! Are you alright?" Link asked from atop the banister.

_Coza! He's awake! _She quickly got off the floor, gathered the map, and ran out of the inn.

Link, confused, chased after her. "Sky, wait!" He ran down the stairs, and ran out into the cold night. Sky was fleeing off into the exit of town, towards Hyrule Field. Link groaned and sped after her. "Sky! SKY! Where are you going?" She didn't answer, and he was losing her. He sprinted forward, and grasped her wrist forcefully. "SKY!"

She turned around violently and screamed, "MY NAME ISN'T SKY!" and tugged on his grip.

Link kept his grip on her firm, and brought her closer. "What are you talking about!?" Then it hit him, and his grip softened. "You remember." Link had never imagined her like this; her eyes her angry, and her cheeks were flushed. Her jaw was stiff and set, and her eyebrows were curved in. Even though her appearance had not changed, her eyes had. They were not innocent like before; they were bright with flame.

Adaeze hit his bare chest with her free hand. "Yes I remember! Now leave me alone!"

Link caught her other hand, holding her tightly. She tugged at him like a bull, raging in fury. "Woah, woah! Calm down!"

"I don't want to calm down! Let me go! LET ME GO!" She moaned in frustration, and kneed the area right above his groin (thankfully), causing him to let go in surprise and giving her the freedom to run off again. Link grunted as he pat his 'family jewels' to make sure they were still there and once again, ran after her. _What the hell is going on? _As he sped down the dusty road, he noticed an item in her hand. _His_ item."Hey! That's my map!"

Adaeze halted abruptly and threw his map on the ground. "Have it! I don't need it anyway." And with that, she marched off.

Link scooped up the map as he passed it and caught up with her, catching her bronze shoulder and stopping himself in front of her. "What's wrong? Talk to-"

"I do not want to talk with you! Don't you get it? Leave me ALONE!" She snapped.

Link stiffly planted his feet to the ground, trying to block her. "Sky-"

"My name is not Sky! It's Adaeze." She answered more calmly. "Is there anything else you must know?"

Link's blue eyes narrowed. "Yes. Where are you going? Why are you so mad?"

Adaeze studied him for a moment, then shook her head and pushed past him. "You wouldn't understand-"

"Try me."

She halted, then turned back to him, irritated. "My name is Adaeze Solange, and I am the princess of Lothlorien."

Link stared at her, dumbfounded. "Lothlorien? Where's Lothlorien?"

Adaeze laughed sarcastically. "Where is Lothlorien? You obviously have a lack of knowledge. Lothlorien is in the Amazon. You do know where the Amazon is, don't you?"

"Yes I do. And you are one to talk. You don't even know where you're going." Link snapped.

Adaeze folded her arms. "I most certainly do! I am going…erm…over there!" She pointed to the exit and began walking off again.

"You don't even know where that is!"

"I'll find my way around!"

"Please, how could you not know Hyrule?"

Adaeze, for the third time, stopped walking, her back still to him. "Are you mocking me?"

Link snickered. "Lighten up." But this time when she turned around, Adaeze was not mad; her mouth turned down and her shoulders were bunched forward. She looked like she was ready to have a major cry fest.

"You, Mister Wannabe-Hero, know NOTHING about me," her voice shook. "And I hardly doubt you'd care."

Link took a step forward. "Well you don't exactly know me either, so who are you to insult me?"

She walked all the way up to him, and confidently said, "Royalty."

Link snorted. "Well royalty isn't very smart where you're from then."

Adaeze shook her head. "Like I said, you know nothing." And for the final time, she walked off to the exit. She somewhat expected Link to chase after her again, but this time he didn't. He stood there, disappointed.

Link shook his head. "Damn. After all I've done. I saved your life from those men, nearly getting myself killed, gave you shelter, and you thank me like this." He sighed. "I kept my promise."

Adaeze laughed. "What promise?"

"To keep you safe."

Adaeze stopped laughing, but continued walking. Link kicked tumbleweed on the ground. "Damn. You know what? Just…forget it. You're on your own. I don't care." And just like that, he walked away, leaving her alone in the chilly night.

Adaeze didn't care either. She did not care for Link's personal problems, she did not care that it was nighttime and it was rather dangerous for her to be wandering alone, and she did not care for Hyrule. All she wanted was to go home, and kill that man. That's all she felt: Hatred.

She reached the Kakariko Gate, tugging on the bloodstained chains. She tugged and tugged, yet they did not budge. It was locked. She took a step back and examined the gate, seeing if it was climbable. Seeing as it wasn't, she groaned and kicked the gate with her bare feet, not even caring for the pain shooting up her leg. She slammed the gate with her fists, over and over again, taking her anger out on it. Eventually, she was yanking at the chains, trying to break them. She screamed in frustration and slid down the fence, resting her back on it. She folded her legs to her chest and hung her head in defeat.

_I just want to go home. I just want to go home. _She looked up at the veil of darkness, stars twinkling from beneath, remembering what Link said.

"_I kept my promise."_

"_What promise?" _

"_To keep you safe."_

Adaeze grunted and held her forehead in her hands, thinking. _He saved me, I am safe. Why would he risk his life for a stranger like me? That's foolish…but brave. Link's a good person, and he went through a lot of trouble to bring me here, and I act like this. _

_GOD ADAEZE! PULL YOURSELF TOGETHER! WOULD MOTHER HAVE LIKED TO SEE YOU ACT LIKE THIS? Would she have done the same thing? You go and apologize to that man NOW. _

_But he's of no use to me. He's was just going to leave me here anyway. He doesn't care about me; he just couldn't help rescuing a damsel in distress. He's like every other guy; just using a girl to get in her pants._

_But then again, he could've taken advantage of me at any point, and I wouldn't have even known it was wrong. I took my dress off and he didn't even peek! Maybe he's truly a gentleman. _She chuckled. _Sucker._

Adaeze stood up, dusting her dress off and walking back to the village. True, she was angry and sad, but she felt a slight trickle of hope.

_Maybe he could help me get back to Lothlorien! Why didn't I think of that before? He's a swordsman, and he took down Asai's guys. Maybe…just maybe. _

She walked up the dusty ramp and knocked on the door three times. When no one answered, she became impatient and slammed her fist into the door. "Link! I know you're in there!" When no one responded, she peered up at the open window. "Link, don't act like I don't exist! I'll stand out here all night if I have to! I'll…I'll go wake up Renado!" To her surprise the door in front of her swung open, a very agitated-looking Link standing in the doorway, his arms folded, leaning on the door. Adaeze stood up tall. "I was wondering-"

"Come in."

"Huh?"

"Are you coming in or not?"

Adaeze fumed and strode past him. He closed the door and walked back up the stairs grumpily. Adaeze frowned. "Aren't you going to talk to me?"

"No."

She followed him. "Please, I was going to ask you for a favor and-"

Link turned on her. "A favor? I hope you're joking."

She narrowed her eyes. "Actually I wasn't."

Link snorted and walked into the room, plopping into his bed. "Just…go to bed."

Adaeze cocked one eyebrow. "Are you serious? You're just going to go to bed, like nothings wrong? Like nothing happened?!" She moved over to him and sat on his bed, glaring at him. "Is it really so hard to talk? All I did was scream at you…and kick you…but I didn't betray you or kill a family member." She felt her heart drop when she said that, but kept on strong. "You don't know me-"

"You're right. I don't know you, and I don't want to."

"Link! You don't understand why I acted the way I did! I'm pretty sure you would've done the same thing! I was stuck all alone in a forest for years, and now I'm awake and I've opened my eyes to a world I've never seen and I'm confused and scared! Haven't you ever felt that? Having a situation thrust upon and you having no control of whether of you want to be a part of it or not?"

Link looked to her, his blue eyes widened in surprise. _Yeah…the Triforce; the Chosen Hero._ He glanced at the Triforce on his left hand and sighed. "Yes, I know what that's like." He looked at the ground, flushed.

"So, will you let me talk to you?" He nodded. Adaeze sighed and looked at her right hand, a black tattoo covering most of it. _Should I tell him? No...not now. _"My name is Adaeze Solange, and I am the Princess of a country called Lothlorien. When I was around ten years old, the country was formed into two clans; The Abiri and the Ecosta. They weren't rivals, but they debated a lot, on a professional standard. My father, the King, ruled the Abiri, while his best friend" she snarled. "Asai, led the Ecosta. My father trusted Asai to lead them well.

"Asai was always a very powerful man even though he served the King. In court and at meetings the two argued and argued, but afterwards they'd laugh about it give each other a pat on the back. I never really knew what it was they debated about, until I was around eleven. I begged my father to let me attend the one of the debates, and he finally agreed.

"Apparently, the Ecosta thought of Lothlorien as a very powerful country, but argued that we were not big enough. They suggested we attack neighboring lands, like Hyrule, and expand our territory. However, the Abiri, also agreeing that we were powerful, did not agree that we should start war over territory, as it will lead into complications. They declared that Lothlorien was perfect the way it was, and that if we must need territory, we have the entire Amazon to use. This made Asai furious, stating that if a true king had the power to control all he could, he would do so. My father told Asai that he would not have his way and that he was not king, so he had no right to make judgments on what was best for the country. Asai then said _"Ganondorf would be dishonored by a king dismissing his own moral codes." _This made my father so mad that he kicked Asai out of the meeting, and declared that his rank would be lowered.

"After that, things were different with the king and Asai. They rarely spoke, only to pass messages, and never mentioned one another. I noticed though, that that past year Asai had been acting strangely. He usually kept his gaze down, and always seemed to be muttering to himself. His eyes bore deep bags, and he was always frowning. I just thought he was upset with the fight with my father, but I was wrong. It was much more than that.

"I wouldn't have understood then, but I think I do now." Adaeze's body shivered and her right hand caressed her forehead, thinking. "That past year Asai had been planning a plot to turn my people against the royal family and the ones who supported and served them. I think he told my people lies about us, rumors that he created in jealousy. The guards were more distant, and people in the markets and in town often cursed words to the palace. I remember once a crowd of protesters outside the palace gates, screaming something about 'betrayal'. I asked my mother, but she dismissed it. She told me everything would be alright."

Link saw her eyes get watery, and he knew she was going to deliver some bad news. He gripped her hands in comfort, but she pulled away, shaking her head. He glanced at her, frowning at her expression. "What happened?"

Adaeze's hazel eyes shot up, glaring at his face. "What happened?" Her eyes shined beautifully with tears, but her voice was heavy and shaky. "I don't know what happened, only God knows what happened; everything went haywire from there. I was twelve, and I was sleeping peacefully in my room, in my bed, with nothing to disturb me. My mother barged in, waking me and telling me to come with her immediately. She told me not to get dressed, just to get up and go. I was confused, but otherwise I followed directions. She lead me to the _Grande….._oh how do you say _grande_ in Hylian….great! She led me to the Great Library, and locked us in. She then told me to pick a story for her to read to me, and I told her I was too tired. But I noticed something in her eyes I had never seen before: fear. So for her sake, I choose my favorite story, _The Hero of Time_. I don't know why I liked that story so much. Other children preferred playing in the river or playing pranks; but I always read. Anyway, she began to read me the story, and then when she finished…" Adaeze took a deep breath and closed her eyes. She felt Link's gentle touch again.

"You don't have to continue." He said softly.

Adaeze opened her eyes, shaking her head vigorously. "No. I started the story, now I have to finish it." She sat straight up and looked at Link full in the face, ready for his attention. "By the time she finished the story, it was afternoon and I was wide-awake. She put the story down and asked me if I had any idea what was going on. I said that I knew father and Asai weren't friends anymore, and that most of the Abiri had joined the Ecosta. I decided to change the subject, and asked her what a lovely day it was." She stopped talking, her gaze drifting from Link to the window. She stared at it, thinking.

"How do you remember all of this so well? You're talking like it was all yesterday." Link said, getting her attention back. Her head snapped to him, surprised.

She ignored his comment, and kept talking. "Mother then told me 'Listen to me Corazon; whatever happens, I will always love you. No matter what'..." now she was crying. "…'you will always be in my heart'." She held her head in her hands for a moment, crying softly.

Link bit his lip, not sure what to do. _Should I comfort her? Should we call it a night? Ugh…what do I do?_

_Just go with your heart. _He sat up confidently and rested his right hand on her tanned arm. Adaeze looked up at him, his azure eyes calming her. She gave him a small smile, and wiped away her tears. When she finished, she rested her own tattooed hand on his, holding it.

"Do you want me to continue?"

"Only if you want to."

She nodded. "At that moment, I knew something was terribly wrong. She was crying, which in case you don't know, is not allowed in Lothlorien, especially if you're royalty."

"Crying isn't allowed? That's crazy!" Link said.

Adaeze rolled her eyes. "It's not that it's not allowed, it's just viewed as a weakness, and in Lothlorien, everything is about power. If the citizens saw royalty crying, that would make them uneasy and scared. We have to be strong for them. Now can I continue?" He nodded. "From that point, everything happened so fast, like a blur. I heard heavy footsteps and men yelling, and right on cue, they were pounding on the door, finally breaking in. I ran away from my mother, and hid behind some bookcases. They kicked and dragged my mother outside, soon chasing me. They finally caught me and led me outside too, not hurting me like they had my mother. They dragged us to the throne room, and guess which bastard was there: Asai. He had us kneel before him, and he blabbed about some _tsita_. Then he…" she bit her lip and squeezed Link's hand, forcing herself to continue. "…he pulled his sword out…and he…he" she was crying again, but not as much as before. She controlled herself well. "Asai told my mother that she was of no longer any use for him…and struck her in the chest."

Link sat there, baffled. He hadn't been expecting this. He was expecting Adaeze's mother to get exiled or thrown in prison. But killed? Right in front of her own child? _What kind of_ "monster." He said, finishing his thought aloud. He looked at Adaeze sympathetically, placing a hand on her wet cheek. "Ade, you're a strong girl, okay?" She shook her head and removed his hand angrily.

"No! No I'm not! If I were strong I would've been able to do something about it! I could've stopped him! I would've killed him!"

"You don't want to be like him. You don't want to be a killer."

"I don't care! I want him dead!"

"Ade you don't want to lower yourself to his level!" He said rather loudly. "Murderers kill because they're afraid of who they really are! They're cowards and you're not! You are a brave young woman."

Adaeze pounded the bed angrily. "No I'm not! I'm just as much of a coward as he is! I should've died with her! I shouldn't even…I shouldn't even be here!"

"Don't talk like that! You should cherish your life!"

Adaeze stood up. "Cherish?! There is NOTHING for me to cherish now! I have nothing and no one! Did I also mention he murdered my father?! HIS OWN BEST FRIEND!?" The tears were streaming freely now, no longer afraid of being held back. "I have no where to go, no one to be with, and no one who cares!"

Link frowned. "You have me."

Adaeze laughed behind her tears. "You?! Who are you?! YOU are a farm boy from some little happy village, where you have your friends and family. YOU have someone, YOU have a family. I don't! YOU don't have a kingdom that you've left behind and possibly failed! YOU don't have the weight of that whole kingdom on your shoulders! Why? Because you're no one special; you're just Link, the cute little farm boy from Ordon." She sighed. "I'm all alone." She sat back on the bed in defeat, holding her head in her hands. "You can't possible know how that feels."

Every word pierced through Link, reminding him of his early childhood, of all the times he felt different, of the time when the twilight took over and he was transformed into a wolf, confused and scared. It reminded him of when the light spirits told him HE was the chosen one, and HE would have to save Hyrule, whether he liked it or not. Or of when HE was told to defeat Ganondorf and Zant, and all the monsters along the way. Of course he had Midna, but even with her he felt like it was all up to him. Funny, because Adaeze had no idea who she was talking to. So, Link was tired of not being taken seriously by this pre-Madonna princess and stood up nice and tall, glaring at Adaeze.

"You seriously have no idea what you are talking about. You want to know the truth? I'm an orphan, just like you. I have no real family, no one to call mother or father. I was found in a river, floating in a baby cradle. I have no idea who my parents were, or where they are. I don't even know if they're alive. True, I was raised in a cute little village, but I didn't have someone to run to whenever I got hurt or scared at night. I didn't have anyone to ask questions to when I didn't understand something. I had the villagers yes, but they couldn't tell me why I had this." He exposed the back of his left hand to her, his Triforce visible. "Do you want to know who I really am? I am Link, the Hero of Hyrule, or, as you call it, the Hero of Time. I am the one who went through thick and thin to make sure Hyrule was safe, I am the one who has seen things no other person could even dream of, and I am the one who defeated the Dark Lord Ganondorf. This is the Triforce, and there are three people who bear it: I bear the Triforce of Courage; Princess Zelda bears the Triforce of Wisdom; Ganondorf bore the Triforce of Power. We are the chosen ones by the goddesses to keep our land in order." He took in a deep breath. "That's who I really am."

Adaeze stared at him, shocked. Her mouth hung open and her tears had stopped. It took her a while to process the information. After about a minute, she blinked. "I know what the Triforce is, it's just…you're the Hero of Time?" She shook her head in disbelief. "No way."

Link smiled. "Yes way." He sighed with relief. "There, we can no longer call each other strangers, okay?" He stuck out his hand.

For the first time, Adaeze smiled genuinely. "Yeah, okay." She shook his hand roughly. "So, how old are you?" She asked slowly.

Link sat back down next to her. "I just turned eighteen, why?"

"No I mean, how long have you lived for?"

"Eighteen years?"

Adaeze rolled her eyes. "Obviously. But, how are you the Hero of Time when he existed, like, a thousand years ago?"

Link opened his mouth to answer, then closed it when he realized he didn't know the answer. He thought for a moment. "You know, I'm not sure."

Adaeze gave a wide grin. "I think you're a reincarnation."

"Why d'ya say that?"

"I dunno, I just gotta feeling."

Link nodded. "Yeah, I think you're right." He looked down at his hand. "If that's true, it all makes sense then. Wait, you said you know what the Triforce is?"

Adaeze bit her lip. "Heheh…yeah…sorta. Well, I know more about Ganondorf then anything else."

"What do you know about Ganondorf?"

"Oh hell, I know lots about Ganondorf. Now, I know he's your supposed enemy and all, so don't take this the wrong way. Lothlorien is a very new country to our world, created about seven-hundred years ago. Now, Ganondorf himself created Lothlorien as his own underdog country. He created us so he have would power over one kingdom and put himself relatively closer to Hyrule, which was right across the Great Sea. Ganondorf also brought people of the Gerudo and Hylian race to the Amazon, and in a 'godlike-manner', declared they build a civilization. While everything was in the works, Ganon decided he needed backups of his own, and picked the most beautiful Hylian woman he found and, well, forced himself upon her. She bore him two children, and from there, the line of the Royal Family was born." She cast herself away from his eyes, twirling a brown spiral curl. "So, I'm basically related to Ganondorf. He's my great-great-something –grandfather." Now she looked him square in the eyes.

Link saw it now, the resemblance. He saw in her hazel-gold eyes the look of dominance and power, although all she had just been through. Her skin glowed with radiance, the reddish-brown beach hair, and her height. It all made sense. She was not only Gerudo, but Gerudo Royalty. Link took in a gasp, and stroked his blonde hair back. "Wow."

Adaeze laughed, the sound ringing like a beautiful melody in his ears. "I know! Shocking isn't it? How we just happened to meet, even by fate?" She smiled wide and proud, but inside Link knew she was dying, and even her smile couldn't fake that. Adaeze winked. "I think the goddesses planned for us to meet."

Link broke out of his daydream, returning to her. "You do? Well you don't say?"

Adaeze raised an eyebrow and crossed her long, bare legs. "So, you aren't mad at me?"

"Mad at you? Why would I be mad?"

"Well, people would consider us enemies. I mean, I'm related to the man your set to destroy, right?"

Link smirked. "You're forgetting I already took care of him."

It was Adaeze's turn to smirk now. "Oh, I wouldn't be too sure of that." Link eyed her suspiciously. "Oh chill out, it's nothing to worry about. It's just, he has a lot of reincarnations, ya know? You gotta watch out for them." She sarcastically joked.

Link shrugged. "Well, I still don't know why I would be mad at you. You don't choose your family history, so it's not something you should stress about. And besides, opposites attract."

Adaeze frowned. "Whatya suggesting, huh?"

"Eh, uhm-"

"Shut it. I've had enough of relationship-hungry guys, even at twelve. Sorry," she sighed dramatically. "I'm no sucker for romance. Matter of fact, I despise it."

Link half-laughed. "That's the silliest thing I've ever heard. How does a girl not like romance?"

Adaeze pursed her lips and cocked her head like some queen bee. "How could I believe in something that doesn't exist?"

"Ohhh ho ho. So now it doesn't exist?"

Adaeze growled. "Not for me it doesn't. Now what do you care? You just met me damn." She examined her fingernails, biting each one pointlessly. "You're so gullible."

Link grinned, staring at her flirtatiously. She caught him checking her out and rolled her eyes. "Jeez, just take a picture. You look like you want to eat me."

Link laughed and sat back on the bed frame, burying himself in the warm blankets. "You know, you're not your average, traditional princess. They're usually polite and girly, but you're like some kind of free spirit or something."

Adaeze chuckle-smirked. "Sorry to disappoint you. I can act all polite if I want, but hell, I don't mean any of it. You should hear the stuff that goes on in my head." She stood up on the wooden flooring and dusted her dress off, nodded to Link. "Well, it's time to be getting to bed huh? It's been a long night, and we're both tired." She turned to her bed, then back to him quickly. "Thank you. You know, for comforting me and talking to me. It really helps."

Link nodded. _Man she's a talker, of course it got her mind off things. _He stood up with her and gave her a comforting hand shake. "Goodnight Ade."

Adaeze decided to take her chances, and pulled his arm to her, embracing his shirtless form tightly. Link was hesitant at first, but eventually wrapped his arms around her waist, mentally noting her seductive curves. She clung to him like a child to candy, and wanted to get that point across. When she pulled away, he saw tears in her eyes again, although he wasn't entirely sure what they were for. She smiled softly. "Thank you Link, Hero of Hyrule."

She held his strong hand for a moment, then released it, moving to her bed.

Link got into his own bed, and smiled up to the ceiling. _Maybe she's not so bad after all. Maybe._

Adaeze smiled to herself. _Great success._

And together, they both drifted off into a peaceful sleep.

**I'm finally finished!!! W00t!!! The chapter ended really differently then I planned, as Ade was supposed to fall asleep, crying in Link's arms, but I like this more. REVIEW! Now! If you read this story without reviewing…then I don't even have words for you (:**

**PS: I have my own little soundtrack for my story, so these are songs that I play in my head when I re-read it or write:**

**Gravity – Sara Bareilles**

**Everytime it rains – Charlotte Martin**

**Falling Slowly – Kris Allen**

**Can't take it in – Imogen Heap**

**Narnia Sountrack**

**Clint Mansell (Composer)**

**I recommend those songs/composers entirely (:**


	9. Chapter 7: Too much to handle

**Author's Note: ****Hey guys! So, this is probably going to be one of the longest** **chapters in the whole story, and you will soon see why. Please review, and thank you Shimmering Starlight, Victoria-Blackheart, and Zeph the mage for reviewing! BTW, anonymous reviews are allowed, so if you don't have an account and are reading this story, you may review too. **

**PS: I do not own Zelda, only the Amazonian characters. I do not own Lothlorien either (the name belongs to LOTR). I also use the song "Braille" – Regina Spektor. It's her work, not mine. (:**

**Also! Today is my birthday (September7)!!!!!! I'm 16 today! So….can my b-day present be lots of reviews?! Pleaseee??!! I'll give you cake (:**

**Chapter 7: Too much to handle**

_She was lying on the floor and counting stretch marks  
she hadn't been a virgin and he hadn't been a god  
so she names the baby Elvis  
to make up for the royalty she lacked_

and it was raining cats and dogs out side of her window  
and she knew they were destined to become  
sacred road kill on the way  
and she was listening to the sound of heavens shaking  
thinking about puddles, puddles and mistakes.

_Elvis never could carry a tune  
she thought about this irony as she stared back at the moon  
she was tracing the years with her fingers on her skin  
saying why don't I begin again._

The song played through Ade's mind like a memory, although it was technically a dream. She and Cerena were in the royal gardens, singing the folk song lightly. It was night out, and the sound of crickets and leaves rustling could be heard. It was silent yet noisy all at once, but ultimately peaceful. The dark sky held little, sparkling stars in place, each one distinct and different yet all the same. Ade smiled up at the sky and inhaled, taking in the whole forest's dewy smell. She exhaled with a big smile.

Cerena grasped her friend's hand and smiled to her too, then they both ran off into a dark abyss, not knowing what lay ahead of them, yet not entirely caring. They were young and innocent, and wanted to take it all in before it was all gone.

A pale light broke through the dark tunnel, leaving the two girls to shield their eyes. When Ade opened her eyes again, she was not with Cerena in a dark tunnel, but in a warm, cozy bed. Her eyes strained to fully open, the light surprising her retina.

She mumbled and yawned, rubbing her face. She opened her eyes again, and this time she was peering out of an open window, a soft breeze welcoming her to the early morning. She smiled at the blue sky, feeling calmed at its presence. She sighed, and looked over at the bed next to her. She expected to see a shirtless young man sound asleep, wrapped in blankets, but there was no one there. Ade blinked and rubbed her eyes again, making sure her vision wasn't playing with her. But when she opened them again, she saw an empty, neatly made bed. Adaeze's heart began to pound. She was starting to worry. _He wouldn't leave without me, right? Nah…he probably just went to get breakfast or something. _Her eyes drifted below his bed frame, and she gasped. _His things, they're gone. COZA LINK! _She groaned in frustration, and leaned over the windowsill, looking below into Kakariko.

The yellow-haired hero was indeed, neither in bed nor at breakfast, but fully dressed and set on Epona, chatting with Renado at his side.

"Son of a-!" Adaeze angrily slammed her fist on the wooden sill and sped off running down the stairs. When she reached the bottom, she swung the front door wide open, standing in its now empty place.

This caught Link's attention. He stopped talking and looked from Renado to the doorway. When he saw a very angry-looking girl in its place, he ground his teeth. "Crap!" He quickly took hold of the reins and glanced back at Renado. "Gotta run! Thank you sir!" And with that, he gave Epona a kick and a whoop, and they sped off towards the flaming mountains, the exit of town. _Dammit! Why is she awake so early? UGH, ADE. _

Adaeze stood for a moment, baffled. Did he really just plan to leave her here? Even after last night? Who did he think he was?! The bastard! She blinked and shook her head. "LINK!" She felt more annoyed then she did angry. She groaned and sped down the dusty ramp, running as fast as her long legs would carry her. She knew she didn't have a chance at catching up with Epona, but she could at least hope Link might fall off. As she ran though, Renado caught hold of her arm and gently pulled her aside. Adaeze whipped around, her hair going with her. "Renado! What are you doing? Unhand me at once!"

Renado kept his grip firm but gentle, his fatherly eyes easing her. "Link has a mission to complete. He will come back for you when he is finished."

Adaeze shook her head. "No! No! You don't understand! I remember now! I remember everything!"

"Link told me, but he has to do this alone," Renado said. "This is his job."

Adaeze tugged on him, her eyes showing a rare, but genuine plead. "Please Renado please! I need him! He has to help me, and I can help him! Please?" She stared intensely at him, almost seeing right through him.

Renado studied her face for a minute and sighed. "I suppose I should not interfere with your decisions." He nodded once, and released her. "Go."

Adaeze's face grew a smile. "Thank you Renado!" And she took off.

Renado shook his head, chuckling. "I believe Link will not be happy with this."

Link, on the other hand, was off with Epona towards the exit gate, feeling unremarkably guilty. He felt terrible that Adaeze just remembered her parent's death and actually admitted it to him, and he was betraying her by leaving her in Kakariko to deal with it herself, although he promised she could trust him. But he _did_ have a mission to complete, and that was set way before she even came into the picture.

All of a sudden, Epona's canter slowed to a trot, then to a walk, and she halted. Just like that! Link stared at his horse in confusion. "Epona! Epona c'mon!" He tapped her belly with his feet, but she stood still, head raised and proud. "Epona, this isn't the time for one of your prissy moments! Get moving!" He grumbled through grit teeth, and tapped her belly once more. Unfortunately, she didn't agree with him, so, like the temperamental mare she was, she raised her tail high and proud, shifted her weight, and neighed at Link, mocking him.

Link narrowed his eyes. "Are you laughing at me?" Epona let out another playful neigh and swung her tail. Link sighed. "Epona, PLEASE. We have to go!" He tapped her neck urgently with his hands. "Epona, Ade cannot come with us! Do you understand? I know you like her, and so do I, but she can't come!"

Epona swung her head from side to side, meaning that she disagreed. Although she loved her master and was usually obedient, she was very strong-minded (and yes, horses can be **VERY **strong-minded).

"In Farore's name! Hurry before she-"

"What the hell do you think you're doing?"

Link's eyes shot to his right, and saw the Amazonian girl standing beside him, arms folded, eyebrow raised. He bit his lip. "I can explain-"

"Yeah, on the way there. Move over."

"You're not coming with me."

"Wanna bet?" She said, glaring at him profusely.

They stared at each other for a several seconds, then Link sighed and scooted forward, leaving some space in the saddle.

Ade smirked and hopped up behind him, her arms resting around his waist. "I won."

"You're mean."

She laughed. "I'm mean? You planned to leave me in this run-down town!"

Link looked over his shoulder at her, his blue eyes captivating her to listen. "Ade, I'm not going anywhere special, I just have a task to do."

"I'm coming with you, whether you like it or not." At the moment she said that, Epona neighed and started walking again, showing that she was now satisfied. Ade grinned. "Apparently Epona thinks it's a good idea if I come too." She punched Link's arm playfully. "Oh relax, it won't be that bad." She turned around in her seat, and waved back to Renado. "Thank you sir! You're very kind!"

"Lies," Link grumbled to himself. He turned back in his seat too, looking behind Adaeze. "Looks like we have a change in plans! Thank you for everything Renado!" He waved once, then took hold of the reins again. "Let's go."

Renado watched them leave, and folded his arms in thought. "Something tells me those two will be getting into all sorts of things."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Hyrule Field was unusually silent. It was a very sunny day, puffy white clouds contrasting the blue sky, which in all went very lovely with the emerald field. The magnificent Hyrule Castle could be seen in the distance, making the place look like a picture out of a fairytale.

Link noticed Ade was being strangely quiet and glanced over his shoulder at her. She was cuddling him, her head resting on his shield, eyes cast down. She looked worried, or unsure. "Everything alright?"

"Hmph," she mumbled, eyes still down.

He looked ahead again, a small smirk forming on his face. He felt a bit heroic, riding his loyal companion through a huge field with a beautiful princess clutched to him, castle in the background. This gave him some small ego points. Of course, he wasn't all into his ego like most men were, but, still being male, he had one.

"Something's wrong."

Ade's voice broke Link's thoughts, and he glanced over to her again. "What do you mean?"

Her eyes were still focused downward. "Something's wrong. I'm not sure what, but I have a bad feeling."

"Well, what do you have a bad feeling about?"

She groaned and sat up, looking at the side of his face. "Didn't I just say I don't know? All I know is that I have a weird, bad-ish feeling. I just…I can't explain it."

"Well, did you eat breakfast?"

"Oh my god Link, shut up!" She rolled her eyes. "This has nothing to do with my stomach! I just have a feeling" she spoke slowly, like explaining something to a 5-year-old. "that something, I don't know what, isn't right. Do you _comprende_?"

"Comprende?"

"UNDERSTAND."

"Sure I understand, just don't expect me to know what your saying when you speak your native language."

Ade sighed, and they were quiet for a few more minutes. She tapped her fingers on his shield, examining the design. "So…where are we going again?"

Link pointed to the castle straight ahead. "Hyrule Castle. I need to ask Princess Zelda for a favor."

"What is it?"

He shifted in his seat. "Someone's nosy, eh? Well, remember that letter I told you about? I was going to ask Zelda if she can help by sending out a search party."

"Don't you think the Zora's already have one?"

"The more the merrier. Besides, I haven't seen her in a while. It might be nice to stop by and say hello."

Ade chuckled. "Have you got a crush on Miss Zelda?"

Link's cheeks reddened furiously. "No! I mean, she's very beautiful, but we're just friends." He looked to her, seeing her unsatisfied expression. "Can't a boy and girl just be friends without someone assuming they're in love?"

Ade shrugged. "I dunno, depends on who you're asking." She winked. "I still think you have a crush on her."

"I must admit, I used to have a crush on her when I was younger, maybe nine. I saw her at a parade in Castle Town," he said. "That's the only time though, I swear."

Ade nodded. "Okay, I believe you." She studied the castle, her elbow resting on his shield. After a couple more minutes, she sighed dramatically. "I'm bored."

"Well, entertain yourself."

"Don't you think I would if I knew how?"

"I don't know. Sing, hum, sleep; those are some ways."

"Eh, I'm not in the mood." She thought for a moment. "Oh! Do you have a bow and arrow?"

Link raised an eyebrow. "Why?"

"Because I'd like to shoot it."

"No. You'll waste the arrows, and you'll probably end up breaking it."

"Are you assuming I don't know how to use one?"

"Yes."

"Well, Mr. Swordsman, you're wrong. Where is it?" She said, jumbling through the items on his back.

Link shifted uncomfortably. "Would you stop? Look," he patted a bag on his waist. "The quiver is in there."

Ade laughed. "How would a big quiver fit in there?"

"It's magic, everything in the bag is miniaturized, and once taken out, maximizes."

"That's pretty cool." She reached in the bag, her hand grasping a quiver and bow. "Got it." She pulled it out, and at once it went from 3 inches to 3 feet. She raised her eyebrows. "That's so cool." She pulled out a couple of arrows, and rested them in her right hand. "Okay, give me a target."

Link took in the whole field, and after five seconds pointed to a nearby oak tree. "That."

"No, that's too easy," She said. "Something hard."

Link smirked. "Fine…um…see that crooked branch? The small one?"

Ade nodded. "Perfect." She expertly latched the arrow, straightened her posture and tightened her stomach muscles. She took a deep breath, and when she exhaled, she released the arrow. It went faster then Link had ever shot, and you would've missed it in the blink of an eye. It hit the branch right in the center. Before Link could speak, she already had another arrow aimed, and when she shot that one too, it went straight through the previous arrow.

Link raised his eyebrows. "Wow."

Ade set the arrow down, and looked at him proudly. "See? I'm not too shabby."

Link smiled. "How did you do that, especially from this distance at this speed, on top of a horse? Where'd you learn that?"

Ade put the quiver and bow back in his pouch. "At a princess's coronation, she must shoot a flaming arrow at a Golden Tamarind monkey in the wild. It's kinda weird, I know, but it symbolizes the strength and agility of a predator, and royalty is most certainly not the prey."

"That's pretty murderous, don't you think?" Link said.

"Yes, but its tradition."

A silence formed between them, an awkward one. Ade sighed and snuggled Link again. "That shield makes it hard to sleep on you."

Link chuckled. "You can put it in the pouch if you want."

Ade raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure? What if an enemy comes along?"

Link waved a hand. "I'll be fine with just my sword. Besides, it doesn't look like anything will harm us today."

"I still have that bad feeling," she said.

"I'm sure it's just because you haven't eaten." Link said, un-strapping his shield. "Here."

Ade took the shield and placed it in his pouch, then snuggled into his shoulder, her arms wrapped around him firmly. She hated to admit it, but she felt safe with him. She felt warm and fuzzy inside, something she hadn't experienced in a while. She smiled and closed her eyes, relaxing.

Holding the reins in his left hand, Link looked over his shoulder at her and grinned. "Comfy?"

"Quite."

He chuckled, and gained some more ego points. His right hand patted her head and she looked up at him. They stared at each other for what seemed an eternity, and then Ade laughed.

"You're a dork, you know that?"

The ego points dropped_._

_Heh._

He laughed with her for a bit, and then focused on the road, wondering how much longer it would be before they got to Castle Town.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Within minutes they arrived at Castle Town's west entrance. Link halted Epona when they reached the wooden bridge, and hopped down, helping Adaeze down too. He blushed softly when she didn't release his left hand, and kept it firmly in hers. She looked down at their locked hands and raised them, staring.

"Your hands are so much bigger than mine." She released his hand and pressed their palms together, examining the size difference. "So weird, considering we're the same height."

"Well, I'm a male…and I'm about two inches taller than you." Link said, winking.

Ade rolled her eyes. "Wow, big difference." She walked forward, leaving Link standing dazed behind her. "Well, are you coming?"

He shook his head, following her. He studied her expression, seeing her eyes light and happy. He poked her arm lightly. "You're excited, aren't you?"

She looked to him, her bright eyes shining with joy, a small tug on the edge of her cherubic lips. "Of course I am! I love traveling to new places, and I've never been anywhere but that god-awful palace." She ran over to the side of the bridge, leaning over the wooden railing. A breeze came and swept her hair up and down, then faded.

Link walked over to the railing beside her, and looked down at the mote. The water was very still, almost like solid. It was surprisingly a deep blue, almost black. He expected it to be brown from the wastes in Castle Town, but was rather relieved when he discovered it wasn't.

Ade followed his gaze, and shivered when she saw the water below. "Ugh, that looks really deep."

"Are you afraid of water or something?" he asked.

Adaeze bit her lip, and her eyes turned as dark as the water. "Yeah…I used to love it, but I had a rather 'traumatizing' experience."

"Ah, so we found you a weakness!" Link laughed, teasing.

Ade narrowed her eyes. "Whatever. Everyone is bound to have a weakness, no one is perfect." She sighed dramatically, closing her eyes. When she opened them again, they were full of excitement and shining like before. "C'mon! Let's go!" She exclaimed, smiling wide and grasping his hand, pulling him with her to the gate.

As Link held her hand in his, he felt rather uneasy with it. Usually, when he had to hold the hands of girls he'd known, he felt rather fine with it; but not with Ade. Her hand was soft and warm, not exactly manicured, but not unbearably dirty either. Her hands were so small in his, almost like a child's. He felt nervous holding her hand in his, and he considered for a moment that it might've been because he was gaining feelings for her.

Ade on other hand, took it as nothing more than dragging her friend along by his hand, she felt no emotion towards it. And if she did, she either didn't know it or wouldn't admit it.

They passed the tall wooden gates that led into the town, greeted by a single guard. He wore a simple, metal knight suit, which basically had no protection in battle. He nodded to the passing pair, then looked ahead again.

_It must be awfully boring to be a guard. Just stand there and nod to people as they pass through, _Link thought_. Eh._

Castle Town was remarkably populated today. Hoards of people and tourists wandered the streets, more than usual. The markets were lined with customers, and restaurants had waiting tags. People were taking photographs of the Hylian Fountain, seeing its' beautiful marble Triforce, water spewing from it. In the center of town, there were even performers set up, eating flaming swords and doing magic tricks. Not only was it crowded, but it was very noisy. There was chatter, playful screams, people singing and playing instruments, even the fountain had its' own soundtrack.

"I welcome you, your majesty, to the royal city of Castle Town!" Link said, bowing playfully.

Adaeze chuckled. "What a quaint town."

"Quaint?" Link said. "Don't you mean busy, loud, big, fantastic?"

Adaeze shook her head. Link shrugged and grasped her hand again, pulling her along the cobblestone streets. They passed the hospital to their left, and a neighborhood to their right. Link walked on forward, towards the center of town. The smell of meat and bread wafted through the air, making both of the teenager's mouths water.

"Hungry?" Link asked.

Ade nodded. "Famished would be a more appropriate word," she said, grinning. She spotted a nice café from across the street, pink umbrellas hanging over customers, keeping them out of the sun. She noticed that most of the women here held umbrellas over their fair skin and lace dresses. She found this strange considering it was not raining.

They arrived at the café moments later, and the hostess seated them. Ade watched everything in her chair: people, the fountain, fashion, food, houses, the castle. She'd always been an analyzer. What intrigued her most was the fashion trend in Hyrule. It was very different from Lothlorien's. Women here wore their hair big, almost like beehives. Their dresses bound corsets, lace, and very bright colors, particularly yellow and red. Their shoes were almost like mini-boots, with a thick heel and laces.

Link meanwhile, was far more interested in the menu then the fashion trends. His eyes scanned the area labeled 'Meat'. Link was always a meat person. He favored steaks, ham, pork, turkey, bacon, whatever it was, as long as it was meat, he was good. His mouth watered when he came across 'Steak de bon bistro'. However, the price was 340 rupees, hardly worth the price of one steak. He sighed, and set his menu down, eyeing Ade. She was watching the crowds closely, her eyes moving back and forth, and her pink lips pursed in thought. Link cocked his head to one side and waved the menu in her face.

Startled, Adaeze smacked his hand. "What?"

"The menu," he chuckled. "You've got to order something."

Ade waved him aside, turning her attention back to the people. "No, I'm fine with whatever you get."

"Aren't you hungry?" he said. "Or, a more appropriate word, famished?" She ignored him. "Well, I'm ordering meat, so tell me now if you'd prefer something else."

This caught her attention. "Meat? What kind of meat?"

"Preferably steak," he said. "Are you okay with that?"

Ade frowned. "Where does this steak come from? I only eat the finest of meats. If I just eat any random cow, I could get sick." She folded her arms. "I'll pass."

Link sighed. "Fine, we can order something else." He studied the menu a bit more. "How about Tomato Bread?"

Ade snorted. "Tomato bread? That's for peasants."

Link narrowed his eyes. "Well, I'm sorry that we can't all be prissy, royal pains in the-"

The waitress came over just then, interrupting him. "Are you ready to order?"

"Almost ma'am. I only eat the highest quality of foods, and I was wondering, where do you get your meats from?" Adaeze said politely. "I'm hoping it is at least of four star standard?"

The waitress stared at her, blinked and gulped all in the same instance. "Well, I can ask my manager for you-"

Link waved his hand. "That needn't be necessary ma'am. She's just making a fuss." He handed her the menu. "We'll take the Tomato Bread."

"Appetizer or meal?"

"Meal."

The waitress nodded and walked away, her red hair swinging behind her.

Link narrowed his blue eyes at Adaeze. "Will you stop being so bossy?"

Ade raised a black eyebrow and rested a hand on her straw, twiddling with it. "Bossy? I was not aware of such behavior being shown."

"Yeah, well you're showing it," Link said, agitated. "Just stop acting all high and mighty, people will suspect things."

Adaeze glared at him with fiery eyes, but grew bored and sighed. "Sorry. I'm just very picky, that's all." She turned her head towards the crowds of people again, cocking her head. "Link, is this _the_ royal city?"

Link stirred his drink subconsciously, his eyes on the castle. "I guess you could call it that. Is it anything like yours?"

Ade bit her lip. "No actually. They're very different. Lothlorien is much more…grand. Not that this isn't grand, but Salta seems to be more…luxurious." She winked at him. "Salta is the royal city."

Link felt his heart flutter, and he suddenly grew hot. For some reason, whenever she smiled or winked, or even touched him, it made him uneasy. _I was right. I have grown feelings for her. _He wiped his forehead with the back of his hand, and breezed himself by flapping his collar. "Whoo! It sure is hot out!"

"You think this is hot? This is normal in central Lothlorien," she said. "At least it isn't humid here." She glanced at him. "Are you okay? You look a bit flushed."

Link shook his head and gave a weak smile. "No. No. I'm just…thirsty." He sipped on his iced water, but that didn't change much. He realized it wasn't actually hot out, it was her. "Seems to be you're the one making it hot out here." What happened next was so fast it took him a whole minute to recover. Adaeze's hand made contact with Link's cheek, slapping it.

Adaeze withdrew her hand, looking shocked. "Oh! I'm sorry! I didn't mean-" She slowed her sentence, then cocked her head. "Link?"

"Huh? Oh…" he mumbled. His hand went to his face, and he glared at her. "What was that for?"

She chuckled. "Oh please, it's not like I hurt you. And besides, you just said I'm hot."

"It was a compliment. I didn't mean to offend you."

"You didn't offend me. It's just…I don't like being complimented. And besides! The way you said it pissed me off!" she said quickly.

Link blinked, staring dumbfounded at her. "I pissed you off?" he laughed, the smile carved into his flawless face. "You're silly, you know that?"

They chatted until the waitress arrived at their table, placing two porcelain plates on either side of them, the meal in the middle. "Enjoy," she said and walked away.

The tomato bread was not actually _tomato_ bread, as Ade had thought. It actually looked quite scrumptious, and smelled irresistible. They were warm bagels with tomato sauce, melted cheese, and basil. Link licked his lips, and picked up two pieces, placing them neatly on his plate. "Looks good, huh?"

Adaeze smiled. "Yeah actually, it does." She picked one up, and sniffed it, feeling her mouth water. She tore a little piece of the cheese off, and ate it, testing it. If the cheese was this good, could you imagine it all together? She neatly placed the entire bagel into her mouth and chewed.

Link ate the bagel piece by piece, and nearly spit out his food from laughter when he saw Adaeze stick the whole thing in her mouth. He laughed while he chewed, the same with her. Even when he swallowed he was still laughing, and had to drink his water to calm him down.

"What was that?" he said humorously.

She still had the bagel in her mouth, and it consumed the whole space so it was impossible to speak. Instead, she held a hand over her mouth and wagged a finger at him.

"What is that? Some kind of finger dance?" he asked, joking. She shook her head at him, laughing even harder. For a moment Link became scared she might choke, but when she finally managed to swallow the whole thing, he sighed with relief.

Adaeze wiped her mouth with her napkin, and looked around to see if anyone had seen her embarrassing manners.

"You're a jerk, you know that?" she giggled. "I could've died."

Link ran a hand through his hair. "Yeah, that worried me for a moment too. But Ade, why did you eat the entire thing? Those bagels are huge!"

Adaeze shrugged. "I dunno! I didn't know you were supposed to eat it piece by piece!" she said, twirling her hair into a loose braid over her bare shoulder. "I'm used to tiny finger-foods." When looked back at him, she saw his doubtful expression and rolled her eyes. "Shut up."

"I don't eat peasant foods," Link mocked her voice. "But I swallow gigantic chunks of them instead!"

Ade snorted. "That wasn't even funny."

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After they paid the waitress, Link followed Ade down the cobblestone street, feeling the warm sun burn his cheeks. His eyes watched the way Ade walked, her hips swaying from side to side, almost like a dance. He caught himself staring and came to realize her white dress had holes in it, exposing her right hip and midriff. He caught up with her and tugged on her hand. "Ade, I think you're a bit…underdressed."

Adaeze turned round on him, smiling. "Really?" she looked down at her torn dress. "Oh, I'd forgotten about that." She squinted at him through the blinding sun. "Don't worry about it. It's not as if any of these people know me anyway," and she cheerfully walked forward again.

Link paced himself beside her. "Yes, but we are visiting Hyrule Castle. You can't go in dressed like that."

Adaeze side-glanced at him. "Look at what you're wearing."

"What? What is the deal with my outfit?! Why is everyone always making fun of it?" he asked. "It looks normal to me."

"Maybe to _you_," she said. "Not to anyone else." She stopped. "Then again, you're right. I can't visit the princess looking like this."

Link reached into his money pouch, revealing lots of blue and green rupees. After he counted the majority of them, he set them back in his pocket. "I have an estimated 690 rupees left, so go find something you like."

"Wait, you're going to buy me a new outfit?" she asked, raising an eyebrow. "Really, it's fine. I can just get shoes or something. I mean, I'm sure the princess will understand."

"I thought you _were_ a princess. Aren't you concerned about what you're wearing at all?"

"No, I could care less about what_ I_ wear, as long as it doesn't make me look fat," Ade said.

"I don't think anything would make you look fat," Link said.

"I was joking."

"Oh."

Ade pointed to the Malo Mart down the street. "What about in there?"

Link snorted. "Definitely not there. They don't have any shops here that sell clothing, but the vendors on South Street do," he said. "C'mon." He followed the stone path to the south side, leading to the markets.

The markets were extremely busy today, like the rest of Castle Town. Ade saw all kinds of vendors: clothing vendors, food vendors, toy vendors, even hot spring water vendors. A long, white dress caught her attention from the corner of her eye, and she stopped to study it.

Link stopped with her, following her gaze. "So you found something you like," he said. He moved over to dress, feeling the silky fabric. "It's pretty. Do you want it?"

Ade moved over to him, feeling the own fabric with her fingers. "It's beautiful. And it's truly made from silk too." She waved a hand over to the clerk. "Excuse me! Where was this dress made?"

The plump woman came over from behind the stall, and smiled at Ade. "I believe that dress was imported from Salta in Lothlorien. Did you know? It's a city covered in gold!"

Adaeze smiled, feeling warm inside. "Yes, I know." She stroked the material gently. "I know my Salta."

"How much is it?" Link asked from behind Adaeze.

The plump woman never looked at Link, only eyeing the dress. "It's about, 655 rupees? It's pure silk." She gasped when she looked upon the blonde hero. "Oh! You're Link, aren't you? The Hero of Hyrule?"

"Yes, yes I am," Link said, giving a weak smile. "You've heard of me?"

The woman giggled. "Of course I've heard of you! You're famous! If it weren't for you, we'd all still be living in fear and darkness!" The woman shook her head. "You're much too modest. For you, the dress is 300 rupees. Good deal?"

Link shook his head. "That's not fair. I shouldn't get a discount-"

"Yes, yes you must! I assume it's for this pretty girl?" she said, winking to Ade.

Link rubbed the back of his neck. "Yes, it's for her. I couldn't fit into it, even if I wanted to." He turned to Ade. "You're sure this is the dress you want?"

Before she could answer, the woman came from behind the stall and unlatched the dress from its hanger. "Let's see if it's the right size, hm?" She placed the dress over Ade's tall frame. "It looks a bit too short, but I might be able to fix that." She pointed to a dressing cubicle beside the vendor. "Would you like to try it on?"

Adaeze nodded, and the woman led her to the cubicle, handing her the dress. She called over to Link, "It'll only be a minute!" and walked past the curtain.

The plump saleswoman, walked back to Link, looking him up and down. "You're a handsome young man. She's a lucky one."

"No, no! She's not my girlfriend. She's my…um…cousin," Link stuttered. He gave a weak, toothy smile. "Thank you though."

The woman cooed. "Oh, your cousin? Well, she's a pretty lady. Very exotic-looking. I would kill to have looks like that," she said, her eyes gazing up at the yellow sun. "Oh how I wish I was young again." She looked back at Link, her brown eyes boring into his. "Live life while you can. Because if you don't, it'll be like you hardly lived at all."

Ade shouted something muffled from inside the dressing cubicle, and the woman rushed over, disappearing inside. A few moments later, the white curtain was withdrawn and out stepped the tall, dark Adaeze. The flowy dress looked fantastic on her, accentuating every curve in her body. The white popped out against her bronze skin, and brought out her sparkling eyes. She was truly a goddess in Link's mind; he could not take his eyes off her.

She stepped forward, a pearly smile engraved on her face. She twirled round in her dress, feeling like a princess at last. The material felt soft and cool against her skin, tired of wearing rags for the rest of her years. She muttered something to the saleswoman, then turned to Link. She noticed his cheeks were pink, and he had a glazed look in his blue eyes. She called out to him. "Link! What do you think?" She twirled round again. "I love it!"

Link nodded. "It looks great on you! With that dress, you won't even need shoes," he joked. "How much was it again?"

The saleswoman went back to her desk, counting up numbers. "About 330 rupees," she offered generously. "I would go lower, but that dress is very high-quality."

Link reached into his pouch, pulling out two orange rupees, two purple ones, one yellow, and two blue ones: Exactly 330 rupees. He set the money on the counter. "Thank you ma'am. Have a good day."

The plump woman nodded "Thank you for your patronage! Take care of that dress!"

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They finally arrived at the castle's front gates, nodding to the guards as they let Link through, instantly recognizing him. He attempted to link arms with Ade a couple of times, but each time she'd pull away and walk herself, her fingers clung to her dress. She peered up at the stone buildings through the blinding sunlight.

They walked up some flights of stairs until they reached the secondary front gates, the guard stopping them with his hand.

"State your name."

"Link," Link replied.

"Link what?"

"I don't know. I didn't know my parents."

The guard sneered, then turned to Adaeze. "And you?"

"My name is Ilia. Ilia Mcburry," she lied.

Link turned to her, surprised. Adaeze was using Ilia's name as an alias? He'd only mentioned Ilia once. _Maybe she doesn't want them to know who she is. Someone might recognize her name. _

The guard set his hand down. "What business do you seek here?"

"I need to speak with the princess. It's urgent," Link said.

"Do you have an invitation?" the guard asked.

"No, but –"

"I'm sorry. You must request an appointment or be given an invitation to speak with the princess."

Adaeze stepped forward, obviously becoming indignant. "Excuse me, _sir_, but do you know who you are speaking with? This is _Link_, the _Hero_ of_ Hyrule_. He defeated the Great Ganondorf. You at least know who he is, I hope."

The guard groaned and straightened his posture. "Yes, I know who Ganondorf is. And I know this is our hero, but the rules say-"

"I do not care what the rules say! Those apply to simple civilians! He is _not_ a simple civilian, and he has the ability to speak with Princess Zelda whenever he chooses to!" she chided in. "He could live in the castle if he chose to."

The guard stood dumbfounded before them, the grip on his spear whitening his knuckles. "Please excuse me for a moment. I will speak with the other guards," he said, and slipped through the gate behind him.

Link, flushed, turned to the heated Adaeze. "Nice speech."

"Stupid guards, always acting like they are all high and mighty. UGH! _De diaso bon de tsita teto_!" she angrily shouted.

Link heard a bit of an accent come out whenever she was angry. It was alien to his ears. He brushed off his tunic, chuckling as he did so."You're so irascible, you know that?"

Adaeze grinned. "Oh, big word," she said. "Well, we're in dire circumstances, and that guard is acting like a freaking moron." She took in a deep breath, then let it all out in short breaths. "Much better."

The guard reappeared at the gate, holding it open for them. "You may pass." He looked a bit disappointed.

"Thank you," Ade and Link said simultaneously. They both passed through, and reappeared at one last set of gates, three guards standing before them. They waited in an orderly fashion, greeting the duo with nods. The guard in the middle Link recognized instantly. It was Fyrore, one of Rusl's friends that Link and Ilia had met in Castle Town.

Fyrore smiled when he recognized the hero. "Ah! Link, what brings you here?"

Link stepped forward, shaking hands with the man. "I am here to speak with the Princess about something urgent. You see, I received a letter from the Zora's stating that Prince Ralis has disappeared. They have requested I find him, but I can't do it alone." He reached into his pocket, pulling the letter out and handing it to Fyrore. "See for yourself."

Fyrore read silently and quickly. When he finished, he handed the note back to Link. "How do you know it's not a fake?"

Link shook his head. "I don't know. That's why I'm here to see Zelda."

The guard to the right of Fyrore whispered something in his ear. Fyrore nodded and waved him aside. "Please wait patiently while we see what the princess is up to."

The guard on the right then rushed through the gate into the Royal Gardens. Fyrore turned back to the pair, eyeing Adaeze. "And who might you be?"

Before Link could answer, Adaeze butted in. "I am Ilia Mcburry, sir."

The guard raised an eyebrow. "Ilia Mcburry? You are not Ilia Mcburry. I've met her. She's from Ordon, the mayor's daughter." He turned to Link. "Am I correct?"

Link gulped, thinking fast. "Umm…no I think you are mistaken. The mayor's daughter is Ilia _McDonald, _not Mcburry_."_

"Oh, really? I apologize," Fyrore said. "I could've sworn it was Mcburry. Anywho, are you also from Ordon Miss Mcburry? You don't look like you are from around here."

"No, I come from Kakariko Village. My father is Renado, the talisman," she lied again. "I am a cousin of Link's."

The guard widened his eyes. "Really? I had no idea Renado had an older daughter. And Link! I had no idea you were part Sheikah!"

Link bit his lip. "Yup…heheh." He glared at Ade from the corner of his eyes. She glared back, telling him to hush up.

The other guard came back through the gate, looking exasperated. "The Princess cannot speak with you now. She is much too busy."

"But it's urgent. Did you tell her that?" Link said.

"Yes. She has told me to tell you that she is in a meeting with the Lord of Lothlorien, and that they are signing a peace treaty. She will send for you when she is finished."

Link froze. "Lord…Lord of Lothlorien?" He widened his eyes. "PLEASE tell me you're joking."

The guard shook his head.

Link side glanced to Ade very slowly, sloth speed. He was afraid of what he would find. She was visibly shocked, her mouth hanging open and her eyes dark. Then slowly, her eyebrows narrowed down and she ground her teeth. She was pissed.

"The Lord of Lothlorien? THE LORD OF LOTHLORIEN?!" she shouted. She made a run for the door, but Link caught her arms fast, holding them tightly behind her back. She bucked and groaned, but he held her still. The guards looked at them, confused.

"Is there a problem?"

"YES THERE IS A PROBLEM! YOU HAVE A COLD-BLOODED KILLER INSIDE YOUR CASTLE!" she roared. "He will _kill_ your princess!"

"Ade, calm down," Link whispered in her ear. "Screaming will only make things worse. Explain to them without being so wild."

Fyrore widened his brown eyes. "What are you talking about? How do you know this?"

Ade broke from Link's grip. She stood still, but her body shook in rage. "That man is a murderer. His name is Asai, correct?" The messenger guard nodded. Ade clenched her fists. "He killed the royal family of Lothlorien. He was jealous of their power, and exterminated them so he could use his country to take over neighboring lands."

Fyrore held up his palm. "How do you know this?"

"I lied to you. My name is not Ilia Mcburry, but Adaeze Solange," she said proudly. "I am the true Royal Princess of Lothlorien."

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They all stood in silence, each and every one of them shocked. Finally, Fyrore broke the dead air. "If you lied to us before, how do we know we can trust you now?"

"I lied to protect my identity," Ade sneered. "And you have the hero before you. Surely you can trust him."

Fyrore fixed his eyes on Link. "Does she speak the truth?" Link nodded, sad honesty filling his eyes. Fyrore nodded in disbelief, running a hand over his face. "So, you say this man is a royal family killer? If so, why would he be here to sign a peace treaty?"

"Don't you see? He wants you to think you are allies! Once he gains acceptance and trust from your princess, he will have access to Hyrule!" she exclaimed. "This is why it all started. He wants to take over other lands to make his own bigger. He's a tyrant."

The guard on the left of Fyrore spoke. "So what do we do? Do we attack?"

Link butted in, shaking his head. "No. If you attack, that would be very dangerous. I think you should play along. Let me interrupt their session, and I'll speak to Zelda about it. I'll convince her to believe me, and she'll schedule a meeting with him another time, giving us time to think."

Ade poked him, surprised. "That sounds like a plan."

Fyrore nodded. "A rather good one at that." He turned back Ade. "Are you the only survivor of the Royal Family?"

She nodded. "And a witness to my mother's death."

"Well, we must keep you in hiding then." He turned to the guard on his left, nodding to him. "Escort her to Telma's Bar. Tell the members of _The Resistance_ to keep her safe. Tell them of her situation." He turned to Link, standing proud. "You, come with me. We have some tyrant ass to kick."

Link and Adaeze embraced quickly, but firmly. Link whispered for her to behave and be safe. She replied with a solid kick to his foot. They broke the embrace, and took off their separate ways.

_Link, please help Zelda. Keep her safe, just like you did me, _Ade thought as she walked away. _You kept your promise._

**END OF CHAPTER 7**

**Review please! What did you like the most? What didn't you like? Are you excited for the following parts? (:**


	10. NEW! Please Read :

**Hey everyone! So, I haven't written anything in a while, I know. I'm not sure how many people actually read this anyway. But, I've decided to re-write my story. The writing is just horrendous, amateur, and rushed, and it was written during the summer. Now I've been in a Creative Writing class in school and I've become MUCH better. So, I hope you look forward to my "re-newed" story! I will make it as good as possible! **

**PS: Some things might be different, but the plot will remain the same :D**

**KelseyRain (:**


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